Electrochromic polyoxometalate material as a sensor of bacterial activity

Abstract

Lactobacillus fermentum, a bacterium of human microbiota, acts as an electron donor for the electrochromic [P₂Mo^VI₁₈O₆₂]⁶⁻. Since the reductive capacity of L. fermentum correlates with its metabolic activity, the reaction with [P₂Mo^VI₁₈O₆₂]⁶⁻ affords a means of evaluating its activity. Following this logic, we have concluded that vancomycin severely affects the activity of L. fermentum whereas omeprazole does not.