Recent Development of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA)-Based Materials for Antibacterial Applications: A Review.

The diseases caused by microorganisms are innumerable existing on this planet. Nevertheless, increasing antimicrobial resistance has become an urgent global challenge. Thus, in recent decades, bactericidal materials have been considered promising candidates to combat bacterial pathogens. Recently, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have been used as green and biodegradable materials in various promising alternative applications, especially in healthcare for antiviral or antiviral purposes. However, it lacks a systematic review of the recent application of this emerging material for antibacterial applications. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this review is to provide a critical review of the state of the art recent development of PHA biopolymers in terms of cutting-edge production technologies as well as promising application fields. In addition, special attention was given to collecting scientific information on antibacterial agents that can potentially be incorporated into PHA materials for biological and durable antimicrobial protection. Furthermore, the current research gaps are declared, and future research perspectives are proposed to better understand the properties of these biopolymers as well as their possible applications.

SARS-CoV-2 and its new variants: a comprehensive review on nanotechnological application insights into potential approaches.

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spreads and develops quickly worldwide as a new global crisis which has left deep socio-economic damage and massive human mortality. This virus accounts for the ongoing outbreak and forces an urgent need to improve antiviral therapeutics and targeted diagnosing tools. Researchers have been working to find a new drug to combat the virus since the outbreak started in late 2019, but there are currently no successful drugs to control the SARS-CoV-2, which makes the situation riskier. Very recently, new variant of SARS-CoV-2 is identified in many countries which make the situation very critical. No successful treatment has yet been shown although enormous international commitment to combat this pandemic and the start of different clinical trials. Nanomedicine has outstanding potential to solve several specific health issues, like viruses, which are regarded a significant medical issue. In this review, we presented an up-to-date drug design strategy against SARS-CoV-2, including the development of novel drugs and repurposed product potentials were useful, and successful drugs discovery is a constant requirement. The use of nanomaterials in treatment against SARS-CoV-2 and their use as carriers for the transport of the most frequently used antiviral therapeutics are discussed systematically here. We also addressed the possibilities of practical applications of nanoparticles to give the status of COVID-19 antiviral systems.

Rapid Assessment of Biological Activity of Ag-Based Antiviral Coatings for the Treatment of Textile Fabrics Used in Protective Equipment Against Coronavirus.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants have rapidly spread worldwide, causing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with numerous infected cases and millions of deaths. Therefore, developing approaches to fight against COVID-19 is currently the most priority goal of the scientific community. As a sustainable solution to stop the spread of the virus, a green dip-coating method is utilized in the current work to prepare antiviral Ag-based coatings to treat cotton and synthetic fabrics, which are the base materials used in personal protective equipment such as gloves and gowns. Characterization results indicate the successful deposition of silver (Ag) and stabilizers on the cotton and polypropylene fiber surface, forming Ag coatings. The deposition of Ag and stabilizers on cotton and etched polypropylene (EPP) fabrics is dissimilar due to fiber surface behavior. The obtained results of biological tests reveal the excellent antibacterial property of treated fabrics with large zones of bacterial inhibition. Importantly, these treated fabrics exhibit an exceptional antiviral activity toward human coronavirus OC43 (hCoV-OC43), whose infection could be eliminated up to 99.8% when it was brought in contact with these fabrics after only a few tens of minutes. Moreover, the biological activity of treated fabrics is well maintained after a long period of up to 40 days of post-treatment.

Advanced Functional Materials for Intelligent Thermoregulation in Personal Protective Equipment.

The exposure to extreme temperatures in workplaces involves physical hazards for workers. A poorly acclimated worker may have lower performance and vigilance and therefore may be more exposed to accidents and injuries. Due to the incompatibility of the existing standards implemented in some workplaces and the lack of thermoregulation in many types of protective equipment that are commonly fabricated using various types of polymeric materials, thermal stress remains one of the most frequent physical hazards in many work sectors. However, many of these problems can be overcome with the use of smart textile technologies that enable intelligent thermoregulation in personal protective equipment. Being based on conductive and functional polymeric materials, smart textiles can detect many external stimuli and react to them. Interconnected sensors and actuators that interact and react to existing risks can provide the wearer with increased safety, protection, and comfort. Thus, the skills of smart protective equipment can contribute to the reduction of errors and the number and severity of accidents in the workplace and thus promote improved performance, efficiency, and productivity. This review provides an overview and opinions of authors on the current state of knowledge on these types of technologies by reviewing and discussing the state of the art of commercially available systems and the advances made in previous research works.