Determining the Parameters of Force Curves on Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Is “s” the Root Spacing or the Mesh Spacing?

Gaddis, Rebecca Lynn

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Determining the Parameters of Force Curves on Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Is “s” the Root Spacing or the Mesh Spacing?

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa is extremely harmful to immunocompromised individuals. An atomic force microscope was used to measure the surface forces of this bacteria’s exopolymers. These forces were characterized with the AdG force model, which is a function of brush length, probe radius, temperature, separation distance and an indefinite density variable, s. This last parameter could represent the root spacing or mesh spacing of the exopolymers. This study aims to clarify s by obtaining force values as a function of temperature. The data suggest that s represents the mesh spacing. If s is the root spacing it should remain constant regardless of the changing polymer lengths, on the other hand if it is the mesh spacing it will vary with changing temperature, as shown by the data presented in this research. This knowledge will aid in understanding and characterizing how bacteria cause infections.

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