School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering

This subject has been and is studied through several projects with an overall aim to assess microorganism and protein inactivation using cold atmospheric plasma (CAP). CAPs are known to generate a large number of reactive species, charged particles and radiation that can be tailored to affect the metabolism and integrity of microorganisms and their building blocks: biomolecules. Despite the rapid growth of the field, the mechanisms governing the interaction of CAP with microorganisms and biomolecules remains unclear. Researchers at CBE have shown that CAP can inactivate both microorganisms and inactivate proteins and misfolded beta-sheet protein agglomerates. These results open the possibility of an effective means of destroying also prions, misfolded proteins believed to be responsible for fatal diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), scrapie, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases (CJD). The ongoing research also focuses on unravelling possible inactivation. In addition, CAP inactivation of food borne microorganisms has been demonstrated with plant tissue models.

Journals

Effects of microbial loading and sporulation temperature on atmospheric plasma inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores
X. T. Deng, J. Shi, G. Shama and M. G. Kong
Applied Physics Letters, vol. 87, 153901, 2005

Atmospheric plasma inactivation of biofilm-forming bacteria for food safety control
M. Vleugels, G. Shama, X. T. Deng, E. Greenacre, T. Brocklehurst and M. G. Kong
IEEE Trans on Plasma Science, vol. 33, no.2, pp.824 – 828, 2005

Physical mechanisms of inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores using cold atmospheric plasmas
X. T. Deng, J. Shi and M. G. Kong
IEEE Trans. Plasma Science, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1310 – 1316, August 2006

Modeling the inactivation kinetics of Bacillus subtilis spores by nonthermal plasmas
S. Perni, X. T. Deng, G. Shama and M. G. Kong
IEEE Trans. Plasma Science, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1297 – 1303, 2006

Effects of cell surface loading and phase of growth in cold atmospheric plasma inactivation of Escherichia coli K12
H. Yu, S. Perni, J. J. Shi, D. Z. Wang, M. G. Kong, and G. Shama,
Journal of Applied Microbiology, vol. 101, issue 6, pp. 1323 – 1330, 2006.

Protein destruction by atmospheric pressure glow discharges  
X.T. Deng, J.J. Shi, H.L. Chen and M.G. Kong
Appl. Phys. Lett., 90, pp 13903 (2007)

Protein destruction by a helium atmospheric pressure glow discharge: Capability and mechanisms  
X.T. Deng, J.J. Shi and M.G. Kong
J. Appl. Phys., 101, pp 74701 (2007)

Cold atmospheric plasma decontamination of the pericarps of fruit
S. Perni, D. W. Liu, G. Shama and M. G. Kong
Journal of Food Protection, vol. 71, no.2, pp. 302 – 308, February 2008.

Cold atmospheric plasma disinfection of cut fruit surfaces contaminated with migrating microorganisms
S. Perni, G. Shama, and M. G. Kong,
Journal of Food Protection, vol. 71. no. 8, pp. 1619 – 1625, August 2008.

Conferences

Plasma Medicine – Challenges and Opportunities, 
36th IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science and 23rd Symposium on Fusion Engineering, San Diego, USA, June 5, 2009 (Plenary Talk).
M G Kong, M Laroussi and A Fridman,

Plasma Sterilization: from Bacteria to Biomolecules
M G Kong
62nd Gaseous Electronics Conference, October 20 – 23, 2009, Saratoga Springs, Albany, NY, USA (Invited)