Printing to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance Through Nano/Microstructured Platforms

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Public Health

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global health crisis causing millions of deaths.
• Additive manufacturing offers precise control for fabricating antimicrobial platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review state-of-the-art additive manufacturing techniques for antimicrobial materials.
• To highlight design parameters and emerging strategies for next-generation antimicrobial platforms.

Main Methods:

• Review of fabrication techniques: nanolithography, inkjet printing, 3D printing, 4D printing.
• Analysis of material types: polymeric matrices, metal/metal oxide nanostructures, theranostic platforms.
• Discussion of design parameters: nanoscale confinement, microenvironmental control, interfacial chemistry.

Main Results:

• Additive manufacturing enables tailored antimicrobial platforms with controlled composition and release kinetics.
• Fabrication influences material stability, ageing, and translational potential.
• Emerging strategies include stimuli-responsive materials, phototherapeutics, and AI-driven design.

Conclusions:

• Additive manufacturing is pivotal in developing advanced antimicrobial materials.
• Understanding fabrication-dependent properties is crucial for clinical translation.
• Future research focuses on intelligent, responsive antimicrobial architectures to combat resistance.