Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.3
3.2
Journals
Life
Special Issues
Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?
share announcement

Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (13 May 2022) | Viewed by 11489

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gianluca De Masi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Consorzio RFX, corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
Interests: plasma medicine; cold atmospheric pressure plasmas; plasma sources; nuclear fusion; plasma diagnostics
Prof. Dr. Emilio Martines

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physics "G. Occhialini", University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
Interests: plasma medicine; nuclear fusion; low temperature plasmas; plasma physics; plasma technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed the importance of developing innovative strategies for counteracting the diffusion of viruses and other pathogens. Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAP) are a very promising tool for the disinfection of inanimate surfaces, living tissues, and gas flows, with a wide spectrum of action. However, while many accounts of CAP effectiveness have been given, precise knowledge of the mechanisms of action still needs to be refined.

In this regard, the COVID-19 pandemic limited the experimental activities and the development and optimization of new plasma-based tools. On the other hand, it offers the possibility to give a coherent view of the research work performed in the last decade in this field.

Thus, the aim of this Special Issue is to offer an overview of the state of the art of CAP-based disinfection and of the mechanism involved. Particular attention will be given to research involving plasma/virus interactions, but contributions are also solicited on the interactions with bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, and on the study of bacterial resistance against plasma action. In the context of disinfection against bacteria, we invite, in particular, contributions concerning the CAP action on biofilms. Contributions from authors exploring the disinfection potential of low-pressure plasmas are also welcome, as they can help to elucidate the action mechanisms of plasma-produced species on biological matter.

It is our wish to clarify the potential of CAP and what is still missing to reach a precommercial level and/or extensive clinical trials.

Dr. Gianluca De Masi
Dr. Emilio Martines
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plasma medicine
  • biomedical plasma applications
  • cold atmospheric plasmas
  • disinfection
  • sterilization
  • bacterial resistance reactive oxygen and nitrogen species

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

11 pages, 2916 KiB  
Article
Argon Humidification Exacerbates Antimicrobial and Anti-MRSA kINPen Plasma Activity
by Ramona Clemen, Debora Singer, Henry Skowski and Sander Bekeschus
Life 2023, 13(2), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020257 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1635
Abstract
Gas plasma is a medical technology with antimicrobial properties. Its main mode of action is oxidative damage via reactive species production. The clinical efficacy of gas plasma-reduced bacterial burden has been shown to be hampered in some cases. Since the reactive species profile [...] Read more.
Gas plasma is a medical technology with antimicrobial properties. Its main mode of action is oxidative damage via reactive species production. The clinical efficacy of gas plasma-reduced bacterial burden has been shown to be hampered in some cases. Since the reactive species profile produced by gas plasma jets, such as the kINPen used in this study, are thought to determine antimicrobial efficacy, we screened an array of feed gas settings in different types of bacteria. Antimicrobial analysis was performed by single-cell analysis using flow cytometry. We identified humidified feed gas to mediate significantly greater toxicity compared to dry argon and many other gas plasma conditions. The results were confirmed by inhibition zone analysis on gas-plasma-treated microbial lawns grown on agar plates. Our results may have vital implications for clinical wound management and potentially enhance antimicrobial efficacy of medical gas plasma therapy in patient treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1247 KiB  
Article
Nitrogen Accumulation in Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Slurry Exposed to Virucidal Cold Atmospheric Plasma Treatment
by Isabella Csadek, Peter Paulsen, Pia Weidinger, Kathrine H. Bak, Susanne Bauer, Brigitte Pilz, Norbert Nowotny and Frans J. M. Smulders
Life 2021, 11(12), 1333; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121333 - 2 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2420
Abstract
Viral contamination of edible bivalves is a major food safety issue. We studied the virucidal effect of a cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) source on two virologically different surrogate viruses [a double-stranded DNA virus (Equid alphaherpesvirus 1, EHV-1), and a single-stranded RNA virus (Bovine [...] Read more.
Viral contamination of edible bivalves is a major food safety issue. We studied the virucidal effect of a cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) source on two virologically different surrogate viruses [a double-stranded DNA virus (Equid alphaherpesvirus 1, EHV-1), and a single-stranded RNA virus (Bovine coronavirus, BCoV)] suspended in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM). A 15 min exposure effectuated a statistically significant immediate reduction in intact BCoV viruses by 2.8 (ozone-dominated plasma, “low power”) or 2.3 log cycles (nitrate-dominated, “high power”) of the initial viral load. The immediate effect of CAP on EHV-1 was less pronounced, with “low power” CAP yielding a 1.4 and “high power” a 1.0 log reduction. We observed a decline in glucose contents in DMEM, which was most probably caused by a Maillard reaction with the amino acids in DMEM. With respect to the application of the virucidal CAP treatment in oyster production, we investigated whether salt water could be sanitized. CAP treatment entailed a significant decline in pH, below the limits acceptable for holding oysters. In oyster slurry (a surrogate for live oysters), CAP exposure resulted in an increase in total nitrogen, and, to a lower extent, in nitrate and nitrite; this was most probably caused by absorption of nitrate from the plasma gas cloud. We could not observe a change in colour, indicative for binding of NOx to haemocyanin, although this would be a reasonable assumption. Further studies are necessary to explore in which form this additional nitrogen is deposited in oyster flesh. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 960 KiB  
Article
Inactivation of Enveloped Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus and Non-Enveloped Porcine Parvovirus Using Low-Pressure Non-Thermal Plasma
by Florian Le Bras, Gaëlle Carré, Yasmina Aguemon, Marius Colin and Marie-Paule Gellé
Life 2021, 11(12), 1292; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121292 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2080
Abstract
As the worldwide population has been experiencing since 2020, viruses represent a serious threat to global well-being. To avoid viral transmission through surgery or medical examination, sterilization of medical material is needed. From emerging sterilization processes, the use of non-thermal plasma (NTP) arises [...] Read more.
As the worldwide population has been experiencing since 2020, viruses represent a serious threat to global well-being. To avoid viral transmission through surgery or medical examination, sterilization of medical material is needed. From emerging sterilization processes, the use of non-thermal plasma (NTP) arises as a promising technique to efficiently reduce microbial burden on medical devices, including new complex polymers as thermosensitive ones. Thus, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy of a low-pressure NTP process taking place in a sealed bag. For this purpose, two different plasmas, O2 100% plasma and Ar 80%–O2 20% plasma, were tested against two viruses: the bovine viral diarrhea virus and the porcine parvovirus, surrogates of human hepatitis C virus and human parvovirus B19, respectively. The efficacy of both NTP treatments on viral load can be detected after only five minutes. Moreover, the longer the NTP treatments last, the more the load decreases. The most effective load reduction was obtained with a 120-min O2 plasma treatment inducing a minimum of four-log viral load reduction. So, this process demonstrated strong virucidal capacity inside a sealed bag and represents a very interesting opportunity in the field of fragile medical devices sterilization or disinfection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5009 KiB  
Article
Low-Temperature Gas Plasma Combined with Antibiotics for the Reduction of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Both In Vitro and In Vivo
by Li Guo, Lu Yang, Yu Qi, Gulimire Niyazi, Jianbao Zheng, Ruobing Xu, Xusong Chen, Jingye Zhang, Wang Xi, Dingxin Liu, Xiaohua Wang, Hailan Chen and Michael G. Kong
Life 2021, 11(8), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11080828 - 13 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2166
Abstract
Biofilm infections in wounds seriously delay the healing process, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of wound infections. In addition to inactivating micro-organisms, low-temperature gas plasma can restore the sensitivity of pathogenic microbes to antibiotics. However, the combined treatment has not [...] Read more.
Biofilm infections in wounds seriously delay the healing process, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of wound infections. In addition to inactivating micro-organisms, low-temperature gas plasma can restore the sensitivity of pathogenic microbes to antibiotics. However, the combined treatment has not been applied to infectious diseases. In this study, low-temperature gas plasma treatment promoted the effects of different antibiotics on the reduction of S. aureus biofilms in vitro. Low-temperature gas plasma combined with rifampicin also effectively reduced the S. aureus cells in biofilms in the murine wound infection model. The blood and histochemical analysis demonstrated the biosafety of the combined treatment. Our findings demonstrated that low-temperature gas plasma combined with antibiotics is a promising therapeutic strategy for wound infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2196 KiB  
Article
Response of Controlled Cell Load Biofilms to Cold Atmospheric Plasma Jet: Evidence of Extracellular Matrix Contribution
by Maritxu Labadie, Frédéric Marchal, Nofel Merbahi, Elisabeth Girbal-Neuhauser, Catherine Fontagné-Faucher and Claire-Emmanuelle Marcato-Romain
Life 2021, 11(7), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11070694 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2135
Abstract
Aim: Study of the biocidal effect of a cold atmospheric-pressure plasma in ambient air on single-species bacterial biofilms with controlled cell density, characterized by different extracellular matrices. Methods and results: Two bacterial strains were chosen to present different Gram properties and contrasted extracellular [...] Read more.
Aim: Study of the biocidal effect of a cold atmospheric-pressure plasma in ambient air on single-species bacterial biofilms with controlled cell density, characterized by different extracellular matrices. Methods and results: Two bacterial strains were chosen to present different Gram properties and contrasted extracellular matrices: Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442 (Gram-negative), and Leuconostoc citreum NRRL B-1299 (Gram-positive). P. aeruginosa biofilm exhibits a complex matrix, rich in proteins while L. citreum presents the specificity to produce glucan-type exopolysaccharides when grown in the presence of sucrose. Plasma was applied on both surface-spread cells and 24-h grown biofilms with controlled cell loads over 5, 10, or 20 min. Surface-spread bacteria showed a time dependent response, with a maximal bacterial reduction of 2.5 log after 20 min of treatment. On the other hand, in our experimental conditions, no bactericidal effect could be observed when treating biofilms of P. aeruginosa and glucan-rich L. citreum. Conclusions: For biofilms presenting equivalent cell loads, the response to plasma treatment seemed to depend on the properties of the extracellular matrix characterized by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, or dry weight. Significance and impact of study: Both cell load standardization and biofilm characterization are paramount factors to consider the biocide effect of plasma treatments. The extracellular matrix could affect the plasma efficacy by physical and/or chemical protective effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cold Plasmas: A New Frontier for Disinfection?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop