Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and C_(60) fullerenes are unique carbon-based nanostructured materials (CNMs) and possess several valuable properties and diverse application potential in fields ranging from electronic devices and polymer composites, to antimicrobial agents and therapeutic vehicles. However, their fundamental biological interactions within the environment are not well understood and need to be studied in a rational manner. Previous studies have addressed short-term microbial interactions of individual types of CNMs from specific application and toxicological viewpoints. Lee and co-workers found that MWNTs coated with titanium dioxide inactivated bacterial spores in the presence of UV radiation, thereby serving as a potential antibacterial agent. Lin et al. have reported on the application of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) for the immunomagentic recognition of certain strains of bacteria. Fortner and co-workers found that nano-C_(60) aggregates (≥ 2.5 mg/ml) allowed Escherichia coli growth in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth but not in minimal Davis media. However, there is a need to systematically understand and compare the detailed fundamental microbial interactions of the CNMs, especially pertaining to those without any application-oriented pre-functionalization, over an extended period. Moreover, comparison with a well-known and commonly applied CNM could help benchmark the potential impact of the CNTs and C_(60) fullerenes. Activated carbon (AC) is a nanoporous, yet microparticulate CNM which has been widely used in applications ranging from dialysis to decolorization with relative safety and could provide such a benchmark. Here we present results from experiments on monitoring the impact of extended interactions of these CNMs on the morphology and growth characteristics of E. coli, a commonly occurring microbial system.
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