Biotesting the biological effects of single-wall carbon nanotubes using bioluminescent bacteria test-system

The effect of single-wall carbon nanotubes (carbon SWNTs) on bacterial cells Escherichia coli K12 TG1 with cloned lux-operon of natural marine bacteria Photobacterium leiognathi was studied. Using atomic force microscopy (AFM), bacterial cell morphological changes were revealed and a cell viability decrease controlled by the number of colony-forming units was registered. It was shown that prior to this we can observe changes in the intensity of oxygen consumption and bacterial luminescence intensity. This lets us recommend a well-known and easy-to-use bioluminescent test for the initial testing of nanomaterial toxicity using living bacteria cultures as well as lyophilized Ecolum biosensors.