Comparative assessment of the physiological and transcriptomic response of Escherichia coli to disinfectants: Ferrate versus hypochlorite

Disinfection is very critical for the removal of pathogens that constitute public health concerns. However, a rounded understanding of the antimicrobial action of different classes of disinfectants is still lacking. In this work, the physiological and transcriptomic responses of Escherichia coli to two different disinfectants namely: potassium ferrate (K2FeO4) and more conventional disinfectant, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), were examined. The study aimed to examine E. coli genetic response to ferrate and compare and contrast it to the genetic response of E. coli to hypochlorite. Three replicate E. coli cultures were used: A, B and C. The first letter in the sample name codes for the culture replicate. The second letter corresponds to the treatment type. ‘W’ codes for water treatment (control), ‘F’ codes for potassium ferrate treatment and ‘H’ codes for sodium hypochlorite treatment. ‘bef’ and ‘aft’ codes for before or after exposure. All E. coli cultures were grown for 48 hours in lake water media supplemented with 100 mg/L yeast extract and 1 mM phosphate buffer prior to exposure