2 research outputs found
Antiadhesive Polymer Brush Coating Functionalized with Antimicrobial and RGD Peptides to Reduce Biofilm Formation and Enhance Tissue Integration
This
paper describes the synthesis and characterization of polymer–peptide
conjugates to be used as infection-resistant coating for biomaterial
implants and devices. Antiadhesive polymer brushes composed of block
copolymer Pluronic F-127 (PF127) were functionalized with antimicrobial
peptides (AMP), able to kill bacteria on contact, and arginine–glycine–aspartate
(RGD) peptides to promote the adhesion and spreading of host tissue
cells. The antiadhesive and antibacterial properties of the coating
were investigated with three bacterial strains: Staphylococcus
aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The
ability of the coating to support mammalian cell growth was determined
using human fibroblast cells. Coatings composed of the appropriate
ratio of the functional components: PF127, PF127 modified with AMP,
and PF127 modified with RGD showed good antiadhesive and bactericidal
properties without hampering tissue compatibility
Filling the Green Gap of a Megadalton Photosystem I Complex by Conjugation of Organic Dyes
Photosynthesis
is Nature’s major process for converting
solar into chemical energy. One of the key players in this process
is the multiprotein complex photosystem I (PSI) that through absorption
of incident photons enables electron transfer, which makes this protein
attractive for applications in bioinspired photoactive hybrid materials.
However, the efficiency of PSI is still limited by its poor absorption
in the green part of the solar spectrum. Inspired by the existence
of natural phycobilisome light-harvesting antennae, we have widened
the absorption spectrum of PSI by covalent attachment of synthetic
dyes to the protein backbone. Steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence
reveal that energy transfer occurs from these dyes to PSI. It is shown
by oxygen-consumption measurements that subsequent charge generation
is substantially enhanced under broad and narrow band excitation.
Ultimately, surface photovoltage (SPV) experiments prove the enhanced
activity of dye-modified PSI even in the solid state