Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2025

Antimicrobial Characterization of Advanced Materials for Bioengineering Applications
Published on: August 4, 2018
Impact of Charge Composition and Distribution on the Antibacterial Properties of Polypeptide Coatings
Zhiwei Liu1, Fangping Yang1, Wenting Si1
1Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
Abstract:
Inspired by the charge composition and distribution of proteins and peptides, we designed and prepared a series of brush polypeptides with positive and negative charges separately distributed in the side chains and the backbones. The brush polypeptides can self- or co-deposit on various substrates forming ultrathin and stable coatings. They showed potent bactericidal activity and antibiofilm property, outperforming conventional linear polypeptide coatings with randomly distributed positive and negative charges. Keeping the balance of positive/negative charges and increasing the numbers of positive/negative charges can further improve the antibacterial property of brush polypeptide coatings without sacrificing their biocompatibility.
Related Concept Videos
Antimicrobial Proteins
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Antimicrobial Effectiveness
Bacterial Cell Wall

