Isolation and Antimicrobial Potential of Epsilon Poly-L-lysine

Epsilon poly-L-lysine (ePL) is a biopolymer that has potential uses in a variety of fields including medicine, bioelectronics, and the food industry (as a food preservative). The goal of this project was to isolate ePL producing bacteria or fungi from soils suspected to be polluted by heavy metals, including chromates. The project concentrated on assaying the soil samples for chromium content, testing the specificity of the method of Itzhaki (to measure concentrations of ePL), and testing the antimicrobial effectiveness of ePL