A TOF-SIMS STUDY OF LIPID CHANGES IN E. COLI MUTANTS WITH IMPAIRED PLASMID TRANSFER CAPABILITY

摘要

Antibiotic resistance causes 25 000 deaths every year. The rate of the spread and the threat that antibiotic resistance pose on a global scale makes this a field of great interest for research. Transfer of plasmids (mobile DNA) between bacterial cells through conjugation is one of the major contributors to the spread of antibiotic resistance. A larger understanding of the mechanisms behind this process and how to possibly hinder it could help to quench the development observed around the world. In this study, the changes in lipid composition in the cell membrane of three mutated E. coli strains that have previously been found unable to transfer plasmids were analysed using a J105-3D Chemical Imager.