Hi! We only tested the Silver Nanoparticles against the bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium, so I do not know specifically how the Silver Nanoparticles would not affect other bacteria. But, I did research that the Silver Nanoparticles have a unique ability to break through cell membranes of bacteria, change the cell structure of the membranes, and interrupt DNA replication. I believe the Silver Nanoparticles would not only kill Salmonella Typhimurium, but potentially other bacteria through these abilities!
The sharp drop off sometimes indicates a poison, or more specifically an endocrine disruptor, because while a typical dose response curve shows a greater response in the test subject as the dose of the chemical increases, our response curve was the opposite. An endocrine disruptor will have a curve that is like an upside-down U. Since our dosage was making the bacteria grow at a high concentration, then dropping off to kill bacteria at a low concentration, it seemed to indicate our compound was an endocrine disruptor. This drop off sometimes can indicate poisons or disruptors in many compounds.
Great question! I believe that more testing would need to be done in vivo or in mice first, especially to make sure the dosage is safe and efficient at killing Salmonella Typhimurium. We found a small dosage had a great balance between safe and effective, so I believe more research would need to be done on testing additional dosages. If the in vivo testing went well and a safe dosage could be effective, then I would be able to consider Silver Nanoparticles for medicinal use following in vivo testing. I hope the Silver Nanoparticles could then be used as an antibiotic that could be prescribed or could be used to clean wounds!
The color of the Silver Nanoparticles affected the readings because they blocked, as well as reflected, the light going through the wells of our plate. Because the Silver Nanoparticles were a very dark and dense solid, it affected our absorbance readings. Once we diluted the nanoparticles, the spectrometer could correctly read the absorbance values of our compound. We did complete a Max Dosage test prior; this was a baseline test to view if our dosage at 100 mg/mL was safe in the bloodstream. After this test, we then realized the Silver Nanoparticles were not very soluble and the spectrometer had a difficult time reading.
Thanks for your question! In order to be used on a patient, the Silver Nanoparticles would have to be deemed safe after testing in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials. If it was deemed safe and effective, I believe the Silver Nanoparticles could be used to sterilize wounds and prevent infection, especially that of Typhoid fever. Silver Nanoparticles could also be prescribed as a similar antibiotic to that of Penicillin.
This was a really cool presentation to listen to and your results were great. Do you think that silver nanoparticles would be harmful at these concentrations when tested in vivo?
Thank you! I think if a small concentration of Silver Nanoparticles were used, they would not be harmful when tested in vivo. Like we found in our experiment, a small dosage, such as 0.75 mg/mL, was very effective and not toxic.
curesymposium.org 
How would these silver nanoparticles only affect Salmonella Typhimurium and not other bacteria?
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Hi! We only tested the Silver Nanoparticles against the bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium, so I do not know specifically how the Silver Nanoparticles would not affect other bacteria. But, I did research that the Silver Nanoparticles have a unique ability to break through cell membranes of bacteria, change the cell structure of the membranes, and interrupt DNA replication. I believe the Silver Nanoparticles would not only kill Salmonella Typhimurium, but potentially other bacteria through these abilities!
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Why does the sharp drop off sometimes indicate a poison?
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The sharp drop off sometimes indicates a poison, or more specifically an endocrine disruptor, because while a typical dose response curve shows a greater response in the test subject as the dose of the chemical increases, our response curve was the opposite. An endocrine disruptor will have a curve that is like an upside-down U. Since our dosage was making the bacteria grow at a high concentration, then dropping off to kill bacteria at a low concentration, it seemed to indicate our compound was an endocrine disruptor. This drop off sometimes can indicate poisons or disruptors in many compounds.
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What kind of further research would you do to be able to consider use of silver nanoparticles for medicinal use?
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Great question! I believe that more testing would need to be done in vivo or in mice first, especially to make sure the dosage is safe and efficient at killing Salmonella Typhimurium. We found a small dosage had a great balance between safe and effective, so I believe more research would need to be done on testing additional dosages. If the in vivo testing went well and a safe dosage could be effective, then I would be able to consider Silver Nanoparticles for medicinal use following in vivo testing. I hope the Silver Nanoparticles could then be used as an antibiotic that could be prescribed or could be used to clean wounds!
LikeLike
Why would the color of the silver nanoparticles affect the readings? Is there no baseline test first?
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The color of the Silver Nanoparticles affected the readings because they blocked, as well as reflected, the light going through the wells of our plate. Because the Silver Nanoparticles were a very dark and dense solid, it affected our absorbance readings. Once we diluted the nanoparticles, the spectrometer could correctly read the absorbance values of our compound. We did complete a Max Dosage test prior; this was a baseline test to view if our dosage at 100 mg/mL was safe in the bloodstream. After this test, we then realized the Silver Nanoparticles were not very soluble and the spectrometer had a difficult time reading.
LikeLike
How could the findings of your research possibly go into treating a patient?
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Thanks for your question! In order to be used on a patient, the Silver Nanoparticles would have to be deemed safe after testing in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical trials. If it was deemed safe and effective, I believe the Silver Nanoparticles could be used to sterilize wounds and prevent infection, especially that of Typhoid fever. Silver Nanoparticles could also be prescribed as a similar antibiotic to that of Penicillin.
LikeLike
This was a really cool presentation to listen to and your results were great. Do you think that silver nanoparticles would be harmful at these concentrations when tested in vivo?
LikeLike
Thank you! I think if a small concentration of Silver Nanoparticles were used, they would not be harmful when tested in vivo. Like we found in our experiment, a small dosage, such as 0.75 mg/mL, was very effective and not toxic.
LikeLike