Screening and Optimizing Antimicrobial Peptides by Using SPOT-Synthesis.

Peptide arrays on cellulose are a powerful tool to investigate peptide interactions with a number of different molecules, for examples antibodies, receptors or enzymes. Such peptide arrays can also be used to study interactions with whole cells. In this review, we focus on the interaction of small antimicrobial peptides with bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) can kill multidrug-resistant (MDR) human pathogenic bacteria and therefore could be next generation antibiotics targeting MDR bacteria. We describe the screen and the result of different optimization strategies of peptides cleaved from the membrane. In addition, screening of antibacterial activity of peptides that are tethered to the surface is discussed. Surface-active peptides can be used to protect surfaces from bacterial infections, for example implants

Practices that Prevent the Formation of Cyanobacterial Blooms in Water Resources and Remove Cyanotoxins During Physical Treatment of Drinking Water

This chapter summarizes the findings of different studies on the prevention and elimination of cyanobacterial blooms in raw water resources as well as the removal of cyanotoxins during water treatment with physical processes. Treatments that can be applied at the source water and limit bloom formation include aeration and chemical addition (e.g., copper sulfate and algaecides). Efficiencies of conventional treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and membrane processes for the removal of both cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins are also discussed. In addition, adsorption of cyanotoxins on activated carbon (AC) and several micro- and nanomaterials is presented. Finally, integrated treatment examples are reported with a specific reference to a lab study on powdered AC-ultrafiltration technologies for the removal of cyanotoxins