Encapsulation of Hydrogen Peroxide in PVA/PVP Hydrogels for Medical Applications.

Researchers have been investigating the physical and morphological properties of biodegradable polymer and copolymer films, blending them with other chemicals to solve challenges in medical, industrial, and eco-environmental fields. The present study introduces a novel, straightforward method for preparing biodegradable hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) for medical applications. The resulting PVA/PVP-based hydrogel uniquely combines the water absorbency, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of the polymer composite.

Latex-Bridged Inverse Pickering Emulsion for Durable Superhydrophobic Coatings with Dual Antibacterial Activity.

There is agreement that every colloidal structure produces its own set of unique characteristics, properties, and applications. A colloidal phenomenon of latex-bridged water in a dimethyl carbonate (DMC) Pickering emulsion stabilized by R202 hydrophobic silica was investigated for its ability to act as a superhydrophobic coating (SHC) for cellulose substrates. First, various emulsion compositions were screened for their stability and droplet size.

PemB, a type III secretion effector in affects life span.

is one of the leading nosocomial opportunistic pathogens causing acute and chronic infections. Among its main virulent factors is the Type III secretion system (T3SS) which enhances disease severity by delivering effectors to the host in a highly regulated manner. Despite its importance for virulence, only six T3SS-dependent effectors have been discovered so far.

Protecting the Antibacterial Coating of Urinal Catheters for Improving Safety.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are among the most common bacterial infections associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased healthcare expenditures. Despite recent advances in the prevention and treatment of these infections, there are still many challenges remaining, among them the creation of a durable catheter coating, which prevents bacterial biofilm formation. The current work reports on a method of protecting medical tubing endowed with antibiofilm properties.

Corrigendum: Comparative genomics of spp. biocontrol strains in correlation to phenotypes and plant pathogen antagonistic capacity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.

Synthesis and Characterization of Durable Antibiofilm and Antiviral Silane-Phosphonium Thin Coatings for Medical and Agricultural Applications.

Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses cause disease in a range of hosts, from humans to plants. Bacterial biofilms, communities of bacteria, e.g.

ZnO Quantum Photoinitiators as an All-in-One Solution for Multifunctional Photopolymer Nanocomposites.

Nanocomposites are constructed from a matrix material combined with dispersed nanosized filler particles. Such a combination yields a powerful ability to tailor the desired mechanical, optical, electrical, thermodynamic, and antimicrobial material properties. Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (SCNCs) are exciting potential fillers, as they display size-, shape-, and composition-controlled properties and are easily embedded in diverse matrices.

The biofilm community resurfaces: new findings and post-pandemic progress.

The ninth American Society for Microbiology Conference on Biofilms was convened in-person on 13-17 November 2022 in Charlotte, NC. As the first of these conferences since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy among the participants of the conference was clear, and the meeting was a tremendous success. The mixture of >330 oral and poster presentations resoundingly embodied the vitality of biofilm research across a wide range of topics and multiple scientific disciplines.

A green formulation for superhydrophobic coatings based on Pickering emulsion templating for anti-biofilm applications.

This study reports significant steps toward developing anti-biofilm surfaces based on superhydrophobic properties that meet the complex demands of today's food and medical regulations. It presents inverse Pickering emulsions of water in dimethyl carbonate (DMC) stabilized by hydrophobic silica (R202) as a possible food-grade coating formulation and describes its significant passive anti-biofilm properties. The final coatings are formed by applying the emulsions on the target surface, followed by evaporation to form a rough layer.

Comparative genomics of spp. biocontrol strains in correlation to phenotypes and plant pathogen antagonistic capacity.

(Bcsl) strains are widely explored due to their capacity to antagonize a broad range of plant pathogens. These include sp. UW85, whose antagonistic capacity is attributed to the secondary metabolite Zwittermicin A (ZwA).

Ultrasonic-assisted synthesis of lignin-capped CuO nanocomposite with antibiofilm properties.

Under ultrasonication, cuprous oxide (CuO) microparticles (<5 µm) were fragmented into nanoparticles (NPs, ranging from 10 to 30 nm in diameter), and interacted strongly with alkali lignin (Mw = 10 kDa) to form a nanocomposite. The ultrasonic wave generates strong binding interaction between lignin and CuO. The L-Cu nanocomposite exhibited synergistic effects with enhanced antibiofilm activities against E.

Antibacterial Properties and Mechanisms of Action of Sonoenzymatically Synthesized Lignin-Based Nanoparticles.

In recent years, lignin has drawn increasing attention for different applications due to its intrinsic antibacterial and antioxidant properties, coupled with biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, chemical modification or combination with metals is usually required to increase its antimicrobial functionality and produce biobased added-value materials for applications wherein bacterial growth should be avoided, such as biomedical and food industries. In this work, a sonoenzymatic approach for the simultaneous functionalization and nanotransformation of lignin to prepare metal-free antibacterial phenolated lignin nanoparticles (PheLigNPs) is developed.

Cuprous Oxide Nanoparticles Decorated Fabric Materials with Anti-biofilm Properties.

Considering the global spread of bacterial infections, the development of anti-biofilm surfaces with high antimicrobial activities is highly desired. This work unraveled a simple, sonochemical method for coating CuO nanoparticles (NPs) on three different flexible substrates: polyester (PE), nylon 2 (N2), and polyethylene (PEL). The introduction of CuO NPs on these substrates enhanced their surface hydrophobicity, induced ROS generation, and completely inhibited the growth of sensitive ( and ) and drug-resistant (MDR and MRSA) planktonic and biofilm.

Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Antiviral Farnesol-Containing Nanoparticles Prevent from Drug Resistance Development.

Multidrug antimicrobial resistance is a constantly growing health care issue associated with increased mortality and morbidity, and huge financial burden. Bacteria frequently form biofilm communities responsible for numerous persistent infections resistant to conventional antibiotics. Herein, novel nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with the natural bactericide farnesol (FSL NPs) are generated using high-intensity ultrasound.

PrrT/A, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacterial Encoded Toxin-Antitoxin System Involved in Prophage Regulation and Biofilm Formation.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are genetic modules that consist of a stable protein-toxin and an unstable antitoxin that neutralizes the toxic effect. In type II TA systems, the antitoxin is a protein that inhibits the toxin by direct binding. Type II TA systems, whose roles and functions are under intensive study, are highly distributed among bacterial chromosomes.

Non-radical synthesis of chitosan-quercetin polysaccharide: Properties, bioactivity and applications.

Quercetin-chitosan (QCS) polysaccharide was synthesized via non-radical reaction using L-valine-quercetin as the precursor. QCS was systematically characterized and demonstrated amphiphilic properties with self-assembling ability. In-vitro activity studies confirmed that quercetin grafting does not diminish but rather increases antimicrobial activity of the original chitosan (CS) and provided the modified polysaccharide with antioxidative properties.

In Situ Grafting of Silica Nanoparticle Precursors with Covalently Attached Bioactive Agents to Form PVA-Based Materials for Sustainable Active Packaging.

Sustainable antibacterial-antioxidant films were prepared using in situ graftings of silica nanoparticle (SNP) precursors with covalently attached bioactive agents benzoic acid (ba) or curcumin (cur) on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The modified PVA-SNP, PVA-SNP-ba and PVA-SNP-cur films were characterized using spectroscopic, physicochemical and microscopic methods. The prepared films showed excellent antibacterial and antioxidant activity, and increased hydrophobicity providing protection from undesired moisture.

Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobic Coating with Antibiofilm Properties Based on Pickering Emulsion Templating.

This study presents antibiofilm coating formulations based on Pickering emulsion templating. The coating contains no bioactive material because its antibiofilm properties stem from passive mechanisms that derive solely from the superhydrophobic nature of the coating. Moreover, unlike most of the superhydrophobic formulations, our system is fluorine-free, thus making the method eminently suitable for food and medical applications.

An Efficient, Counter-Selection-Based Method for Prophage Curing in Strains.

Prophages are bacteriophages in the lysogenic state, where the viral genome is inserted within the bacterial chromosome. They contribute to strain genetic variability and can influence bacterial phenotypes. Prophages are highly abundant among the strains of the opportunistic pathogen and were shown to confer specific traits that can promote strain pathogenicity.

Characterization of PfiT/PfiA toxin-antitoxin system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that affects cell elongation and prophage induction.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic modules usually consisting of two elements-a toxin and an antitoxin. The abundance of TA systems among various bacterial strains may indicate an important evolutionary role. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can be found in a variety of niches in nature, is an opportunistic pathogen for various hosts.

Prevention and Treatment of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa-Based Biofilm with Ethanol.

Background: Although indwelling catheters are increasingly used in modern medicine, they can be a source of microbial contamination and hard-to-treat biofilms, which jeopardize patient lives. At times 70% ethanol is used as a catheter-lock solution due to its bactericidal properties. However, high concentrations of ethanol can result in adverse effects and in malfunction of the catheters.

Small molecule-decorated gold nanoparticles for preparing antibiofilm fabrics.

The increase in antibiotic resistance reported worldwide poses an immediate threat to human health and highlights the need to find novel approaches to inhibit bacterial growth. In this study, we present a series of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) capped by different N-heterocyclic molecules (N_Au NPs) which can serve as broad-spectrum antibacterial agents. Neither the Au NPs nor N-heterocyclic molecules were toxic to mammalian cells.

The Complexity of the Holobiont in the Red Sea Coral under Heat Stress.

The recognition of the microbiota complexity and their role in the evolution of their host is leading to the popularization of the holobiont concept. However, the coral holobiont (host and its microbiota) is still enigmatic and unclear. Here, we explore the complex relations between different holobiont members of a mesophotic coral .

Antibacterial Activity Against Methicillin-Resistant of Colloidal Polydopamine Prepared by Carbon Dot Stimulated Polymerization of Dopamine.

A simple one-step process for the polymerization of dopamine has been developed using nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N@C-dots) as the sole initiator. The synthesized amorphous polydopamine (PDA)-doped N@C-dots (PDA-N@C-dots composite) exhibited a negative charge of -39 mV with particle sizes ranging from 200 to 1700 nm. The stable colloidal solution was active against methicillin-resistant (MRSA), a Gram-negative bacterium.