In-Situ TEM Studies on Nanoparticle Interactions with Bacterial Cells

Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is a continuously emerging global healthcare challenge. Recently, at the global healthcare platform it received utmost attention being as a potential ‘hidden pandemic’ [1]. In 2019, more than 1.2 million people died worldwide due to multi-drug resistant bacterial infections [2]. Metal nanoparticles lie at the core for developing the novel strategies for combatting AMR in bacteria. Metal nanoparticles demonstrate bactericidal efficacy via various pathways such as the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), metal cations release, physical damage to bacterial cell membrane, and chemical binding with functional membrane proteins[3]. The understanding of metal nanoparticles endocytosis is very important in the nanomedicine field attributed to their potential as a nano-carriers for the targeted drug delivery purposes [4].