#34 The Antimicrobial Properties of an L-leucine Surfactant on Gram-negative and Gram-positive Bacterial Species — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
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Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

#34 The Antimicrobial Properties of an L-leucine Surfactant on Gram-negative and Gram-positive Bacterial Species

Name: Jessica Schultz
Major: Biology
Hometown: Union Grove, WI
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Independent research
Funding: Carthage College Biology Department

Abstract

Since their commercialization began in the 1940s, antibiotics have been overused and inappropriately prescribed, leading to increased antibiotic resistance cases seen now in thousands of bacterial strains. Without new treatments, by 2050, an estimated 10 million people will perish annually due to antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. One of the ways to combat the rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens occurring worldwide is to develop new antimicrobials, such as amino acid-based surfactants, to eliminate bacterial populations. Surfactants are amphiphilic molecules that have hydrophobic and hydrophilic components that can be chemically modified to target bacteria and inhibit growth. A novel L-leucine surfactant has been synthesized at Carthage College and tested for potential antimicrobial activity. The L-leucine surfactant is effective in inhibiting bacterial growth in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baylyi, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecalis, which are non-pathogenic relatives of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial activity was measured using a standard serial dilution assay to determine the L-leucine surfactant's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) needed to inhibit bacterial growth. Analysis of the surfactant’s activity will help determine its future potential use as an antimicrobial agent.