Towards Sequence-Controlled Antimicrobial Polymers: Effect of Polymer Block Order on Antimicrobial Activity

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Antimicrobial Materials
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Synthetic polymers show potential against multidrug-resistant bacteria.
• The impact of monomer sequence on synthetic antimicrobial polymer function is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how monomer distribution in synthetic polymers affects their antimicrobial properties.
• To explore the relationship between polymer sequence and biological activity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized linear high-order quasi-block copolymers using aminoethyl, phenylethyl, and hydroxyethyl acrylamides.
• Employed a one-pot photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization technique.
• Varied the monomer and polymer block order within the copolymers.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that the sequence of monomers significantly influences antimicrobial activity.
• Showed that haemolytic activity (cell-damaging effects) can also be tuned by altering the polymer sequence.
• Achieved tuneable biological activities comparable to natural antimicrobial peptides.

Conclusions:

• Monomer sequence control is a critical factor in designing effective synthetic antimicrobial polymers.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for developing new therapeutics against resistant bacterial infections.
• The findings provide a foundation for rationally designing sequence-controlled polymers with tailored biological functions.