台灣西南沿海地帶在1950年代末期，北門、布袋、學甲和義竹曾發生嚴重的重金屬中毒事件，由於當地居民因長期飲用地下水，而當地地下水有高含量的砷，導致許多居民的下肢周邊血管變異，使患者雙足發黑，也就是我們熟知的「烏腳病」。
砷的污染來源有很多種，也許是河流的中、上游工廠排放廢氣物而引起下游直接汙染，也有可能是本身地質環境的沉積物所造成的；不論砷的來源為何，只要經由空氣、皮膚或是食用到人體內，長期由於身體無法代謝並持續堆積，都會對人體造成嚴重的迫害，因此如何對砷汙染作處理並降低濃度是一件不可忽視之事。
本研究從台南北門以及嘉義布袋鎮個別分離出一種葡萄球菌和芽孢桿菌，並發現此兩種細菌對砷有專一性的抗性，為此此研究針對砷與細菌之間的反應變化，利用原子力顯微鏡對細菌的表面機械性質做奈米級的分析，以及量測細菌表面的電性質功函數，並觀測細菌內部變化以及細菌吸附砷的能力，仿真實環境下細菌的存活率及生長曲線，並使用液相連續掃描方式觀察細菌的連續反應。
由數據顯示，細菌在接觸有重金屬環境下有週期性的反應，以及細菌內外皆有重金屬吸收的痕跡，並對砷做價數分析，探討此菌是否會分泌氧化還原酶幫助環境降低毒性；而電性方面細菌會因細菌表面產生化學變化導致功函數有所變動；除此之外，此兩種細菌雖對砷有抗性，但對於濃度還是有一定之限制，重金屬濃度若超過一定的量，細菌無法代謝及解毒，便無法在此環境下生存；此研究利用量測出的數據及資料來分別解釋兩種不同細菌針對重金屬反應的機制及變化。
與以往不同的是，過去文獻已探討各種細菌對重金屬具有高抗性和氧化還原性質，然而，重金屬對這些生物體的生物學效應在分子和生理學已經有較完善之研究。但細菌表面行為並無深入之討論，而微觀技術的最新進展為細菌形態變化提供了創新的見解，因此，此研究著重探討在重金屬在砷影響下的細菌機械性質和電性質；產生高分辨率的基於細胞反應的特性圖像。

This study isolated Staphylococcus sp. and Lysinibacillus sp. found that the two bacteria had specific resistance to arsenic. For this reason, we aimed at the reaction between arsenic and bacteria by using an atomic force microscope. The microscope performs analysis of mechanical properties and measures the electrical properties of the bacteria surface in nanometer scale. It also observes the organelle changes, the ability of bacteria to absorb arsenic, the survival rate and growth curve of the bacteria under the real environment. The continuous reaction of the bacteria was observed using a liquid continuous scanning method. The bacteria have periodic reactions in contact with heavy metals, and there are traces of heavy metals absorbed inside and outside the bacteria. The valence analysis of arsenic is performed to determine whether the bacterium will produce oxidoreductase and help the environment to reduce toxicity; Electrically, bacteria may cause changes in the work function due to chemical changes on the surface of the bacteria; In addition, although these two bacteria are resistant to arsenic, there are certain restrictions on the concentration when it exceeds a certain amount. This study explains the mechanism and changes of two unknown bacteria responses to heavy metals.

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