The role of secondary structures of peptide polymers on antimicrobial efficacy and antibiotic potentiation.

The rise of antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and dormant bacterial populations poses serious global health threats. Synthetic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mimics offer promising alternatives, though the impact of secondary structures in polymeric AMP mimics on antimicrobial efficacy is underexplored. This study investigates chirality-controlled α-peptide polymers (D-PP and DL-PP), synthesized via ring-opening polymerization of allylglycine -carboxy anhydrides and post-polymerization modification through thiol-ene click chemistry.

Intrinsic antimicrobial resistance: Molecular biomaterials to combat microbial biofilms and bacterial persisters.

The escalating rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) coupled with a declining arsenal of new antibiotics is imposing serious threats to global public health. A pervasive aspect of many acquired AMR infections is that the pathogenic microorganisms exist as biofilms, which are equipped with superior survival strategies. In addition, persistent and recalcitrant infections are seeded with bacterial persister cells at infection sites.

Bridging Place-Based Astrobiology Education with Genomics, Including Descriptions of Three Novel Bacterial Species Isolated from Mars Analog Sites of Cultural Relevance.

Democratizing genomic data science, including bioinformatics, can diversify the STEM workforce and may, in turn, bring new perspectives into the space sciences. In this respect, the development of education and research programs that bridge genome science with "place" and world-views specific to a given region are valuable for Indigenous students and educators. Through a multi-institutional collaboration, we developed an ongoing education program and model that includes Illumina and Oxford Nanopore sequencing, free bioinformatic platforms, and teacher training workshops to address our research and education goals through a place-based science education lens.

and biofilm dispersal from microplastics influenced by simulated human environment.

Growing concerns exist regarding human ingestion of contaminated seafood that contains biofilms on microplastics (MPs). One of the mechanisms enhancing biofilm related infections in humans is due to biofilm dispersion, a process that triggers release of bacteria from biofilms into the surrounding environment, such as the gastrointestinal tract of human hosts. Dispersal of cells from biofilms can occur in response to environmental conditions such as sudden changes in temperature, pH and nutrient conditions, as the bacteria leave the biofilm to find a more stable environment to colonize.

Metabolic versatility of from geothermal features of Hawai'i and Chile as revealed by five metagenome-assembled genomes.

Members of the archaeal order (previously the phylum Aigarchaeota) are poorly sampled and are represented in public databases by relatively few genomes. Additional representative genomes will help resolve their placement among all known members of and provide insights into their roles in the environment. In this study, we analyzed 16S rRNA gene amplicons belonging to the that are available in public databases, which demonstrated that archaea of the order are diverse, widespread, and most abundant in geothermal habitats.