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Modeling bacteriophage-induced inactivation of Escherichia coli utilizing particle aggregation kinetics.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hicks, E; Wiesner, MR; Gunsch, CK
Published in: Water research
March 2020

Targeted inactivation of bacteria using bacteriophages has been proposed in applications ranging from bioengineering and biofuel production to medical treatments. The ability to differentiate between desirable and undesirable organisms, such as in targeting filamentous bacteria in activated sludge, is a potential advantage over conventional disinfectants. Like conventional disinfectants, bacteriophages exhibit non-linear concentration-time (Ct) dynamics in achieving bacterial inactivation. However, there is currently no workable model for predicting these observed non-linear inactivation rates. This work considers an approach to predicting bacteriophage-induced inactivation rates by utilizing classical particle aggregation theory. Bacteriophage-bacteria interactions are represented as a two-step process of transport by Brownian motion, differential settling, and shear, followed by attachment. Modifying classical expressions for particle-particle aggregation to include bacterial growth, death, and bacteriophage reproduction, the model was calibrated and validated using literature data. The calibrated model captures much of the observed non-linearity in inactivation rates and reasonably predicts the final host concentration. This model was shown to be most useful in systems more likely to reflect an industrial setting, where the initial multiplicity of infection, or MOI (the ratio of bacteriophage to host organisms), was 1 or greater. For systems of an initial MOI of less than 1 the model showed increased sensitivity to changes in input parameters and a less pronounced ability to reasonably predict inactivation rates.

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Published In

Water research

DOI

EISSN

1879-2448

ISSN

0043-1354

Publication Date

March 2020

Volume

171

Start / End Page

115438

Related Subject Headings

  • Sewage
  • Kinetics
  • Escherichia coli
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Disinfectants
  • Bacteriophages
 

Citation

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Hicks, E., Wiesner, M. R., & Gunsch, C. K. (2020). Modeling bacteriophage-induced inactivation of Escherichia coli utilizing particle aggregation kinetics. Water Research, 171, 115438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115438
Hicks, Ethan, Mark R. Wiesner, and Claudia K. Gunsch. “Modeling bacteriophage-induced inactivation of Escherichia coli utilizing particle aggregation kinetics.Water Research 171 (March 2020): 115438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115438.
Hicks, Ethan, et al. “Modeling bacteriophage-induced inactivation of Escherichia coli utilizing particle aggregation kinetics.Water Research, vol. 171, Mar. 2020, p. 115438. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.watres.2019.115438.
Journal cover image

Published In

Water research

DOI

EISSN

1879-2448

ISSN

0043-1354

Publication Date

March 2020

Volume

171

Start / End Page

115438

Related Subject Headings

  • Sewage
  • Kinetics
  • Escherichia coli
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Disinfectants
  • Bacteriophages