2 research outputs found
Peptide-Based Polymer–Polyoxometalate Supramolecular Structure with a Differed Antimicrobial Mechanism
Because
of the increasing prevalence of multidrug resistance feature,
several investigations have been so far reported regarding the antibiotic
alternative supramolecular bioactive agents made of hybrid assemblies.
In this regard, it is well-established that combinational therapy
inherited by assembled supramolecular structures can improve the bioactivity
to some extent, but their mode of action has not been studied in detail.
We provide first direct evidence that the improved mechanism of action
of antimicrobial supra-amphiphilic nanocomposites differs largely
from their parent antimicrobial peptide-based polymers. For the construction
of a hybrid combinational system, we have synthesized side-chain peptide-based
antimicrobial polymers via RAFT polymerization and exploited their
cationic nature to decorate supra-amphiphilic nanocomposites via interaction
with anionic polyoxometalates. Because of cooperative antimicrobial
properties of both the polymer and polyoxometalate, the nanocomposites
show an enhanced antimicrobial activity with a different antimicrobial
mechanism. The cationic stimuli-responsive peptide-based polymers
attack bacteria via membrane disruption mechanism, whereas free radical-mediated
cell damage is the likely mechanism of polymer–polyoxometalate-based
supra-amphiphilic nanocomposites. Thus, our study highlights the different
antimicrobial mechanism of combinational systems in detail, which
improves our understanding of enhanced antimicrobial efficacy
Permanent, Antimicrobial Coating to Rapidly Kill and Prevent Transmission of Bacteria, Fungi, Influenza, and SARS-CoV‑2
Microbial adhesion and contamination on shared surfaces
can lead
to life-threatening infections with serious impacts on public health,
economy, and clinical practices. The traditional use of chemical disinfectants
for sanitization of surfaces, however, comes with its share of health
risks, such as hazardous effects on the eyes, skin, and respiratory
tract, carcinogenicity, as well as environmental toxicity. To address
this, we have developed a nonleaching quaternary small molecule (QSM)-based
sprayable coating which can be fabricated on a wide range of surfaces
such as nylon, polyethylene, surgical mask, paper, acrylate, and rubber
in a one-step, photocuring technique. This contact-active coating
killed pathogenic bacteria and fungi including drug-resistant strains
of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans within 15–30 min of contact.
QSM coatings withstood multiple washes, highlighting their durability.
Interestingly, the coated surfaces exhibited rapid killing of pathogens,
leading to the prevention of their transmission upon contact. The
coating showed membrane disruption of bacterial cells in fluorescence
and electron microscopic investigations. Along with bacteria and fungi,
QSM-coated surfaces also showed the complete killing of high loads
of influenza (H1N1) and SARS-CoV-2 viruses within 30 min of exposure.
To our knowledge, this is the first report of a coating for multipurpose
materials applied in high-touch public places, hospital equipment,
and clinical consumables, rapidly killing drug-resistant bacteria,
fungi, influenza virus, and SARS-CoV-2