Description
- Abstract:
- Infections borne from the implantation of medical devices has continued to be a global health concern. Bacteria are capable of binding to the surfaces of these implantable materials, which allows the formation of colonies that secrete a waxy, protective extracellular material known as biofilm, which limits the ability for healthcare providers to treat the infection after it is established. The presence of the biofilm prevents immune cells from phagocytosing the bacteria, while simultaneously blocking antigen receptors on the surface of bacteria, preventing attachment and function of antibiotic drugs. Current methods of preventing bacterial attachment on medical devices include the coating of said devices in antimicrobial films that either repel or kill bacteria on contact. Many of these films however are short-lived, degrading rapidly in aqueous environments. Additionally, many of these materials are limited in what bacterial targets they are capable of treating. In order to address these problems, we have developed a novel self-assembled material capable of binding and releasing targeted ligand drug molecules. Here, we present a novel peptide sequence capable of forming amyloid fibrils as well as binding to targeted, antimicrobial ligands. Our peptide was able to self-assemble and form amyloid fibrils in vitro as determined by Congo Red and Thioflavin T staining. Our self-assembled fibrils are shown to bind to the antibiotic agent gentamicin, preventing the adhesion of bacteria onto glass surfaces. Furthermore, upon exposure to a specific release molecule (e.g. curcumin), the self-assembled fibrils are shown to release gentamicin into the surrounding environment. This has significant implications for the future development of antimicrobial coatings on medical devices.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Sc. M.)--Brown University, 2020
Access Conditions
- Rights
- In Copyright
- Restrictions on Use
- Collection is open for research.
Citation
Altemose, Quentin Donald,
"Simulation and Synthesis of Functional, Self-Assembling Amyloid Complexes for the Development of Antimicrobial Coatings"
(2020).
Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/9ydh-kc65
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Biomedical Engineering Theses and Dissertations
Theses and Dissertations for the Biomedical Engineering department....