Inactivation of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci by impulse voltage

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K18071
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Power engineering/Power conversion/Electric machinery
• Research Institution: Oita National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ueno Takahisa 大分工業高等専門学校, 電気電子工学科, 准教授 (30508867)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 高電圧 / 高電圧パルスパワー / 滅菌 / 薬剤耐性菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Due to the increased use of antibiotics, drug-resistant strains have appeared that are resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, and this resistance has become a major problem. While drug-resistant bacteria can be inactivated through disinfection with chlorine, which is the method used in sewage treatment plants in Japan, this method may not be sufficient to inactivate the genes of these bacteria. In the present study, impulse voltages were applied to drug-resistant bacteria in order to inactivate the bacteria. The results show that inactivation is possible with longer application times of applied voltages above a fixed value.

Free Research Field

パルスパワー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本成果による微生物の不活性化技術を確立することで，微生物に加え遺伝子損傷による不活性化まで可能となり，耐性遺伝子水平伝搬による新たな水環境での薬剤耐性菌の発生を抑制することができる．また，UVやオゾン殺菌に代わる低コストかつ維持管理が容易な水滅菌技術を導入可能であることが挙げられる．