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Increased Survival of Ultra-violet-irradiated Shigella sonnei by decreasing the Surface Tension

Abstract

THE role of the surface tension of the suspending medium in the susceptibility of bacteria to ultra-violet irradiation, to our knowledge, has not been examined. During a course of investigations on the effect of ultraviolet light on Shigella sonnei we observed a very interesting relationship between the surface tension (air to liquid) of the fluid in which the organisms were irradiated and the ability to recover from the damaging effects of the irradiation. We have found that, within certain limits, a reduction of the surface tension resulted in increased survival of the irradiated cells.

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References

  1. Ramage, C. M., and Nakamura, M., Canad. J. Microbiol., 8, 283 (1962).

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  2. Ramage, C. M., and Nakamura, M., Exp. Cell Res. (in the press).

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NAKAMURA, M., RAMAGE, C. Increased Survival of Ultra-violet-irradiated Shigella sonnei by decreasing the Surface Tension. Nature 197, 1028–1029 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/1971028b0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1971028b0

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