Self-Assembly of Homo- and Hetero-Chiral Cyclodipeptides into Supramolecular Polymers towards Antimicrobial Gels

There is an increasing interest towards the development of new antimicrobial coatings, especially in light of the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) towards common antibiotics. Cyclodipeptides (CDPs) or diketopiperazines (DKPs) are attractive candidates for their ability to self-assemble into supramolecular polymers and yield gel coatings that do not persist in the environment. In this work, we compare the antimicrobial cyclo(Leu-Phe) with its heterochiral analogs cyclo(D-Leu-L-Phe) and cyclo(L-Leu-D-Phe), as well as cyclo(L-Phe-D-Phe), for their ability to gel. The compounds were synthesized, purified by HPLC, and characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and ESI-MS. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed details of the intermolecular interactions within the supramolecular polymers. The DKPs were then tested for their cytocompatibility on fibroblast cells and for their antimicrobial activity on S. aureus. Overall, DKPs displayed good cytocompatibility and very mild antimicrobial activity, which requires improvement towards applications

Interarchive : Archivarische Praktiken und Handlungsräumr im zeitgenössischen Kunstfeld = Interarchive : Archival Practices and Sites in the Contemporary Art Field

The archive is examined as facility and metaphor in this publication documenting the exhibition-project “Interarchiv” organised by Obrist and Feldmann in co-operation with the Kunstraum der Universität Lüneburg. In the book’s three sections, the first documents the exhibition and its organisation, the second contains reflections on the archive from different disciplinary perspectives, and the third presents 63 instances of contemporary archiving practices in the field of art. Texts in German and English, with three in French and German. Biographical notes. Circa 500 bibl. ref