Growth Rate of Pathogenic Bacterial Species in the Presence of Zinc Oxide

With its implementations proven in ceramics, chemicals, and glass industries, zinc oxide (ZnO) has a wide range of applications. It also exhibits antibacterial properties at the nanoscale. We intend to use a range of ZnO nanoparticle concentrations to study the effects on the growth rate of different species of pathogenic bacteria with our experiment focused primarily on the use of ZnO nanopowder. Previously conducted studies have indicated promising results with staphylococci. We plan to extend this research to bacterial species with differing morphological and Gram-staining characteristics. A theoretical study will also be conducted highlighting the correlation between the shape and size of a ZnO nanoparticle and its bactericidal properties.