Electrochemical inhibition of redox active bacteria and related devices, methods and systems
AssigneesCalifornia Institute of Technology, Naval Research Laboratory
InventorsDianne K. NEWMAN, Leonard TENDER
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Abstract
Provided herein are methods and systems and related devices and compositions for electrochemical control of viability of redox active bacteria. The electrochemical control is performed by applying to a working electrode contacting a medium known or suspected to comprise the redox active bacteria, a reducing potential which is lower of the midpoint potential of a redox active compound produced by the redox active bacteria.
Claims38
A method to decrease viability of redox active bacteria in a medium, the redox active bacteria producing a redox active compound having an oxidized state and a reduced state, the redox active compound further having a midpoint potential, the method comprising:
- contacting the medium with
- a working electrode having a working electrode potential compared to a reference electrode and
- a counter electrode having a counter electrode potential compared to the reference electrode;
- operating a voltage source to apply to the working electrode and the counter electrode a reducing voltage selected so that the working electrode potential has a reducing potential, lower than the midpoint potential of the redox active compound,
- the operating performed for a time and under conditions to increase the concentration of the redox active compound in the reduced state in the medium, thus inhibiting viability of the redox active bacteria.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.