Method for prevention of biodeterioration of fuels

Abstract

A method for preventing biodeterioration of fuel. The method reduces the microbial growth in fuel by administering an antimicrobial peptide (or efflux pump inhibitor) to a fuel phase of the fuel, an aqueous phase of the fuel, or both, which disrupts the cellular membrane (or the efflux pumps thereof) of microbes comprising the growth.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . An antimicrobial fuel comprising:
 a fuel phase;   an aqueous phase at least partially separated from the fuel phase; and   an effective concentration of an antimicrobial peptide in the fuel phase, the aqueous phase, or both, the antimicrobial peptide configured to disrupt a cellular membrane of microbe within the fuel phase, the aqueous phase, or both.   
     
     
         14 . The antimicrobial fuel of  claim 13 , wherein the effective concentration is a concentration sufficient to reduce a size of the bacterial growth by 85% to about 100%, ranging from about 0.01 OD to about 0.2 OD, or ranging from about 1×10 3  cell/mL to about 1×10 6  cell/mL. 
     
     
         15 . The antimicrobial fuel of  claim 14 , wherein the effective concentration ranges from 1 μg/mL to 50 μg/mL. 
     
     
         16 . The antimicrobial fuel of  claim 13 , wherein the antimicrobial peptide is selected from the group consisting of Protegrin-1, Magainin-2, Retrocyclin-101, PR-39, combinations thereof, and analogs thereof. 
     
     
         17 . An antimicrobial fuel comprising:
 a fuel phase;   an aqueous phase at least partially separated from the fuel phase; and   an effective concentration of efflux pump inhibitor in the fuel phase, the aqueous phase, or both, the efflux pump inhibitor configured to block an efflux transport of toxins by at least one efflux pump of microbes within the fuel phase, the aqueous phase, or both.   
     
     
         18 . The antimicrobial fuel of  claim 17 , wherein an effective concentration of the antimicrobial peptide is administered, the effective concentration being a concentration sufficient to reduce a size of the bacterial growth by 85% to about 100%, ranging from about 0.01 OD to about 0.2 OD, or ranging from about 1×10 3  cell/mL to about 1×10 6  cell/mL. 
     
     
         19 . The antimicrobial fuel of  claim 17 , wherein the effective concentration ranges from 1 μg/mL to 80 μg/mL. 
     
     
         20 . The antimicrobial fuel of  claim 17 , wherein the antimicrobial peptide is selected from the group consisting of c-capped dipeptides, Phe-Arg-β-napththylamide, MC-207, aptamers, nanobodies, antibodies, small chemical molecules, peptidomimetics, combinations thereof, and analogs thereof. 
     
     
         21 . A fuel treatment solution comprising:
 a lyophilized antimicrobial peptide, a lyophilized efflux pump inhibitor or both; and   an amphipathic solvent in which the lyophilized antimicrobial peptide, a lyophilized efflux pump inhibitor or both are dissolved.   
     
     
         22 . The fuel treatment solution of  claim 21 , wherein the solvent is diethylene glycol monomethyl, absolute ethanol, or anhydrous alcohols. 
     
     
         23 . A method of treating a fuel, the method comprising:
 administering the fuel treatment solution of  claim 21  to a fuel phase of the fuel such that the fuel treatment solution migrates into an aqueous phase of the fuel.   
     
     
         24 . (canceled)