Microbial division rates determine the speed of mutation accumulation and thus the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Microbial death rates are affected by antibiotic action and the immune system. Therefore, measuring these rates has advanced our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and antibiotic action. Several methods based on marker-loss or few inheritable neutral markers exist that ...

To avert the poor bioavailability of antibiotics during S. aureus biofilm infections, a series of zwitterionic nanoparticles containing nucleic acid nanostructures were fabricated for the delivery of vancomycin. The nanoparticles were prepared with three main lipids: (i) neutral (soy phosphatidylcholine; P), (ii) positively charged ionizable (1,2-dioleyloxy-3-dimethylaminopropane; D), and (iii) ...

1. The abundance of the parasitic salmon louse has increased with the growth in aquaculture of salmonids in open net pens. This represents a threat to wild salmonid populations as well as a key limiting factor for salmon farming. The Norwegian ‘traffic light’ management system for salmon farming aims to increase aquaculture production while securing sustainable wild salmonid populations. However, ...

An active wound dressing should address the main goals in wound treatment, which are improved wound healing and reduced infection rates. We developed novel multifunctional nanofibrous wound dressings with three active ingredients: chloramphenicol (CAM), beta-glucan (βG) and chitosan (CHI), of which βG and CHI are active nanofiber-forming biopolymers isolated from the cell walls of Saccharomyces ...

To relieve the severe economic and social burdens and patient suffering caused by the increasing incidence of chronic wounds, more effective treatments are urgently needed. In this study, we focused on developing a novel sprayable wound dressing with the active ingredient β-1,3/1,6-glucan (βG). Since βG is already available as the active ingredient in a commercial wound healing product provided as ...

Natural transformation is a process where bacterial cells actively take up free DNA from the environment and recombine it into their genome or reconvert it into extra-chromosomal genetic elements. Although this mechanism is known to mediate the uptake of antibiotic resistance determinants in a range of human pathogens, its importance in the spread of antimicrobial resistance is not always appreciated. ...

The hydration of phospholipids, electrospun into polymeric nanofibers and used as templates for liposome formation, offers pharmaceutical advantages as it avoids the storage of liposomes as aqueous dispersions. The objective of the present study was to electrospin and characterize amphiphilic nanofibers as templates for the preparation of antibiotic-loaded liposomes and compare this method with ...

The exogenous anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) stanozolol stays one of the most detected substances in professional sports. Its detection is a fundamental part of doping analysis, and the analysis of this steroid has been intensively investigated for a long time. This contribution to the detection of stanozolol doping describes for the first time the unambiguous proof for the existence of ...

We report a series of synthetic cationic amphipathic barbiturates inspired by the pharmacophore model of small antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and the marine antimicrobials eusynstyelamides. These N,N′-dialkylated-5,5-disubstituted barbiturates consist of an achiral barbiturate scaffold with two cationic groups and two lipophilic side chains. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2–8 μg/mL were achieved ...

Burns and other skin injuries are growing concerns as well as challenges in an era of antimicrobial resistance. Novel treatment options to improve the prevention and eradication of infectious skin biofilm-producing pathogens, while enhancing wound healing, are urgently needed for the timely treatment of infection-prone injuries. Treatment of acute skin injuries requires tailoring of formulation to ...