Inorganic nanoparticle NPsare known to effectively inhibit the growth of a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. They have emerged as promising candidates to challenge the rising global issue of antimicrobial resistance. However, a comprehensive understanding of their mechanism of action and identifying the most promising NP materials for future clinical translation remain a major challenge due to variations in NP preparation and testing methods. In this talk, we shall address the potential mechanisms of antibacterial actvity of NPs using an example of methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus </i>(MRSA). We found that NPs of ZnO suppress MRSA growth by blocking their metabolic activity rather than via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as suggested by multiple studies. NPs with pyramydal shape display the strongest activity which is associated with efficient formation of a NP-protein complex with enzymes resposible for bacterial metablism, such as galactosidase. These finding indicate that NPs can be engineered to match the geometry and chemistry of specific enzymes to selectively enhace suppression of specific protein machinery of the bacterial cells.

Nanobiotics: Mechanism of antibacterial activity of engineered nanoparticles

256th National Meeting (2018)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.