Minimal Inhibitory Concentration of Chitosan

School Name

Governor's School for Science & Mathematics

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Microbiology

Presentation Type

Mentored

Mentor

Mentor: Tzuen-Rong Tzeng, Clemson University

Oral Presentation Award

2nd Place

Written Paper Award

2nd Place

Abstract

Implants have found widespread use in medicine, but they are not a perfect solution due to certain drawbacks. For example, there is a high chance that biofilms will grow on the surface of the implant, which cause infection and usually call for the replacement of the implant. The objective of this research was to find a way to inhibit the growth of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus strain Seattle 1945 using chitosan. Chitosan, a polysaccharide derived from chitin, is most commonly found on the exoskeletons of shellfish, especially shrimp, and has many uses including inhibiting bacteria growth. Layering a certain amount of chitosan on the implants would inhibit the growth of bacteria, allowing it to stay in the patient longer with no need for a replacement. This certain amount of chitosan needed is called the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). To find the MIC, chitosan was dissolved in 0.5M acetic acid. After serial dilutions, the solutions were pipetted into a 96-well plate and left in an incubator overnight and then inspected the next morning. The first well was clear indicating the MIC while the other four wells were turbid. A spectrophotometer was used to help measure the concentration and MIC of chitosan in the well.

Location

Wall 224

Start Date

3-25-2017 11:45 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 11:45 AM

Minimal Inhibitory Concentration of Chitosan

Wall 224

Implants have found widespread use in medicine, but they are not a perfect solution due to certain drawbacks. For example, there is a high chance that biofilms will grow on the surface of the implant, which cause infection and usually call for the replacement of the implant. The objective of this research was to find a way to inhibit the growth of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus strain Seattle 1945 using chitosan. Chitosan, a polysaccharide derived from chitin, is most commonly found on the exoskeletons of shellfish, especially shrimp, and has many uses including inhibiting bacteria growth. Layering a certain amount of chitosan on the implants would inhibit the growth of bacteria, allowing it to stay in the patient longer with no need for a replacement. This certain amount of chitosan needed is called the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). To find the MIC, chitosan was dissolved in 0.5M acetic acid. After serial dilutions, the solutions were pipetted into a 96-well plate and left in an incubator overnight and then inspected the next morning. The first well was clear indicating the MIC while the other four wells were turbid. A spectrophotometer was used to help measure the concentration and MIC of chitosan in the well.