Bacteria metabolic adaptation to oxidative stress: the case of silica.

Although the presence of silica in many living organisms offers advanced properties including cell protection, the different in vitro attempts to build living materials in pure silica never favoured the cells viability. Thus, little attention has been paid to host-guest interactions to modify the expected biologic response. Here we report the physiological changes undergone by Escherichia coli K-12 in silica from colloidal solution to gel confinement.

A multiscale study of bacterial proliferation modes within novel E. coli@Si(HIPE) hybrid macrocellular living foams.

For the first time the study at various length scales of E. coli proliferation modes within Si(HIPE) inorganic macrocellular foams is proposed. Both qualitatively and semi-quantitatively, bacterial proliferation within the foam is not homogeneous and is directly linked to the random distribution of Si(HIPE) macroscopic cells.

Silica@proton-alginate microreactors: a versatile platform for cell encapsulation.

As an alternative approach to the well known Ca(ii)-alginate encapsulation process within silica hydrogels, proton-driven alginate gelation was investigated in order to establish its capacity as a culture carrier, both isolated and embedded in an inorganic matrix. Control over the velocity of the proton-gelation front allows the formation of a hydrogel shell while the core remains liquid, allowing bacteria and microalgae to survive the strongly acidic encapsulation process. Once inside the inorganic host, synthesized by a sol-gel process, the capsules spontaneously redissolve without the aid of external complexing agents.

Formation of crystalline Na2V6O16·3H2O ribbons into belts and rings.

Single-crystalline nanobelts and nanorings of Na(2)V(6)O(16)·3H(2)O structures have been facilely synthesized through a direct hydrothermal reaction between NaVO(3) and H(3)PO(4), without the addition of any harmful solvents or surfactants. The analytical techniques of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, high-resolution TEM, and selected-area electron diffraction have been used to characterize the morphology, composition, and structure of the synthesized products. The Na(2)V(6)O(16)·3H(2)O nanobelts are up to several hundreds of micrometers in length and 100-300 nm in thickness, and for nanorings, the diameters are 4.

In vitro studies and preliminary in vivo evaluation of silicified concentrated collagen hydrogels.

Hybrid and nanocomposite silica-collagen materials derived from concentrated collagen hydrogels were evaluated in vitro and in vivo to establish their potentialities for biological dressings. Silicification significantly improved the mechanical and thermal stability of the collagen network within the hybrid systems. Nanocomposites were found to favor the metabolic activity of immobilized human dermal fibroblasts while decreasing the hydrogel contraction.