Silver/gold nanoalloy implant coatings with antibiofilm activity pH-triggered silver ion release.

Implant infections are a major challenge for the healthcare system. Biofilm formation and increasing antibiotic resistance of common bacteria cause implant infections, leading to an urgent need for alternative antibacterial agents. In this study, the antibiofilm behaviour of a coating consisting of a silver (Ag)/gold (Au) nanoalloy is investigated.

Synthesis and Characterization of Lignin-Silver Nanoparticles.

Metal nanoparticle synthesis via environmentally friendly methods is gaining interest for their potential advantages over conventional physico-chemical approaches. Herein, we propose a robust green synthesis route for lignin-modified silver nanoparticles, utilizing the recovery of lignin as a renewable raw material and exploring its application in valuable areas. Through a systematic approach combining UV-Vis spectroscopy with AAS and DLS, we identified repeatable and scalable reaction conditions in an aqueous solution at pH 11 for homogeneous silver nanoparticles with high uniformity.

All-Carbon Monolithic Composites from Carbon Foam and Hierarchical Porous Carbon for Energy Storage.

We designed high-volumetric-energy-density supercapacitors from monolithic composites composed of self-standing carbon foam (CF) as the conducting matrix and embedded hierarchically organized porous carbon (PICK) as the active material. Using multiprobe scanning tunneling microscopy at selected areas, we were able to disentangle morphology-dependent contributions of the heterogeneous composite to the overall conductivity. Adding PICK is found to enhance the conductivity of the monoliths by providing additional links for the CF network, enabling high and stable performance.

Mannose receptor-derived peptides neutralize pore-forming toxins and reduce inflammation and development of pneumococcal disease.

Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) are essential virulence factors for many human pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumolysin, PLY), Streptococcus pyogenes (streptolysin O, SLO), and Listeria monocytogenes (Listeriolysin, LLO) and induce cytolysis and inflammation. Recently, we identified that pneumococcal PLY interacts with the mannose receptor (MRC-1) on specific immune cells thereby evoking an anti-inflammatory response at sublytic doses. Here, we identified the interaction sites between MRC-1 and CDCs using computational docking.

Flame-Made Calcium Phosphate Nanoparticles with High Drug Loading for Delivery of Biologics.

Nanoparticles exhibit potential as drug carriers in biomedicine due to their high surface-to-volume ratio that allows for facile drug loading. Nanosized drug delivery systems have been proposed for the delivery of biologics facilitating their transport across epithelial layers and maintaining their stability against proteolytic degradation. Here, we capitalize on a nanomanufacturing process famous for its scalability and reproducibility, flame spray pyrolysis, and produce calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles with tailored properties.

Model-Based Nanoengineered Pharmacokinetics of Iron-Doped Copper Oxide for Nanomedical Applications.

The progress in nanomedicine (NM) using nanoparticles (NPs) is mainly based on drug carriers for the delivery of classical chemotherapeutics. As low NM delivery rates limit therapeutic efficacy, an entirely different approach was investigated. A homologous series of engineered CuO NPs was designed for dual purposes (carrier and drug) with a direct chemical composition-biological functionality relationship.

Modeling Proteolytically Driven Tumor Lymphangiogenesis.

With the exception of a limited number of sites in the body, primary tumors infrequently lead to the demise of cancer patients. Instead, mortality and a significant degree of morbidity result from the growth of secondary tumors in distant organs. Tumor survival, growth and dissemination are associated with the formation of both new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and new lymph vessels (lymphagenesis or lymphangiogenesis).