Structural modification of bacterial cellulose

The microfibrillar nature of bacterial cellulose produced by Acetobacter was modified by various chemical reagents in a culture medium. The chemical reagents included antibiotics to inhibit cell division or certain protein synthesis, and reducing reagents that induce reductive cleavage of disulfide bonds in proteins. Among the reagents tested, nalidixic acid and chloramphenicol induced elongation of bacteria, resulting in the formation of wider cellulose ribbons or aggregates of ribbons. The Young's modulus of the sheets made from such cellulose increased, while dithiothreitol, which produced ribbons having only 45% of the width of the control, produced sheets with undiminished Young's modulus. Although further study is necessary to clarify the effect of such modifications, nalidixic acid and chloramphenicol produced a bacterial cellulose with superior mechanical properties.