# Acinetobacter baumannii Deactivation by Means of DBD-Based Helium Plasma Jet

## TL;DR

This study investigates the use of helium plasma jets to deactivate Acinetobacter baumannii, demonstrating effective bacterial inactivation through biochemical and morphological changes, offering an alternative to antibiotics.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel plasma-based method for bacterial deactivation, analyzing its effects on Acinetobacter baumannii with detailed spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.

## Key findings

- Complete bacterial deactivation achieved
- Reactive species identified in plasma streamers
- Morphological modifications observed in bacteria

## Abstract

Acinetobacter baumannii is a typically short, almost round, rod-shaped (coccobacillus) Gram-negative bacterium. It can be an opportunistic pathogen in humans, affecting people with compromised immune systems, and it is becoming increasingly important as a hospital-associated (nosocomial) infection. It has also been isolated from environmental soil and water samples. In this work, unlike conventional medical methods like antibiotics, the influence of atmospheric-pressure cold plasma on this bacterium is evaluated by means of a colony count technique and scanning electron microscopy. The plasma used here refers to streamers axially propagating into a helium channel penetrating the atmospheric air. The plasma is probed with high resolution optical emission spectroscopy and copious reactive species are unveiled under low-temperature conditions. Based on the experimental results, post-treatment (delayed) biochemical effects on Acinetobacter baumannii and morphological modifications appear dominant, leading to complete deactivation of this bacterium.

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/1904.03744