Infectious diseases have become a major threat to the current healthcare system. The occurrence of bacterial resistance to current antibiotics and the slow pace of novel antimicrobial drug discovery research worsen the situation. Furthermore, bacteria can form biofilms on surfaces which are difficult to eradicate using conventional antibiotics. Cationic polymers have shown to be promising agents to eradicate these problematic microorganisms. Natural biomolecules can be designed to produce innovative bio-renewable antimicrobial polymers consisting of hydrophobic, cationic or zwitterionic functionalities. Widely abundant natural resin acids were modified into cationic molecules and polymers that showed broad-spectrum activities against bacteria including Methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus. </i>Antimicrobial surfaces were prepared by grafting these molecules or polymers on surfaces. They showed long-term antimicrobial properties in addition to the biocompatibility toward human dermal fibroblasts and red blood cells. Itaconic acid, a naturally occurring oxygen rich organic compound is found to play a role as an antimicrobial metabolite in mammalian immune cells. Widespread industrial use of itaconic acid include as synthetic resins, fibers, plastics, surfactants, and oil additives. Itaconic acid containing polymers were prepared via RAFT polymerization and post-polymerization modifications were carried out to introduce cationic functionalities. Preliminary antimicrobial tests revealed antibacterial activity in solution against a range of bacteria.<br/>

Converting natural biomass to amphiphilic antimicrobial polymers in solution and on surfaces

252nd National Meeting (2016)

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