The design and development of short peptide-based novel smart materials to prevent fouling by the formation of non-toxic and biocompatible coatings

Advancements in self-assembling peptides: Bridging gaps in 3D cell culture and electronic device fabrication

Self-assembling peptides (SAPs) show promise in creating synthetic microenvironments that regulate cellular function and tissue repair. Also, the precise π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding within self-assembled peptide structures enable the creation of quantum confined structures, leading to reduced band gaps and the emergence of semiconductor properties within the superstructures. This review emphasizes the need for standardized 3D cell culture methods and electronic devices based on SAPs for monitoring cell communication and controlling cell surface morphology. Additionally, the gap in understanding the relationship between SAP peptide sequences and nanostructures is highlighted, underscoring the importance of optimizing peptide deposition parameters, which affect charge transport and bioactivity due to varying morphologies. The potential of peptide nanofibers as extracellular matrix mimics and the introduction of the zone casting method for improved film deposition are discussed within this review, aiming to bridge knowledge gaps and offer insights into fields like tissue engineering and materials science, with the potential for groundbreaking applications at the interface of biology and materials engineering.

Development of a Chemically Modified Sensor Based on a Pentapeptide and Its Application for Sensitive Detection of Verbascoside in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In addition to their antioxidant and antimicrobial action in functional foods, beverages, and in some dermato-cosmetic products, olive phenolic compounds are also recognized for their role in the prevention of diabetes and inflammation, treatment of heart disease and, consequently, of the numerous chronic diseases mediated by the free radicals. In recent years, attention has increased, in particular, regarding one of the most important compound in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) having glycosidic structure, namely verbocoside, due to the existence in the literature of numerous studies demonstrating its remarkable contribution to the prophylaxis and treatment of various disorders of the human body. The purpose of this study was the qualitative and quantitative determination of verbascoside in commercial EVOOs from different regions by means of a newly developed sensor based on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with graphene oxide (GPHOX), on the surface of which a pentapeptide was immobilized by means of glutaraldehyde as cross-linking agent. The modified electrode surface was investigated using both Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. This newly developed sensor has shown a high sensibility compared to the unmodified electrode, a low detection limit (LOD) of up to 9.38 × 10^-8 M, and a wide linearity range between 0.1 µM and 10.55 µM. The applicability of the modified sensor was confirmed by detecting verbascoside in ten different EVOOs samples using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) method, with very good results. The validation of the electroanalytical method was performed by using the standard addition method with very good recoveries in the range of 97.48-103.77%.

Recent advances in self-assembling peptide matrices as functional coatings for implantable devices

Nature has evolved numerous supramolecular machineries for modulating various cellular functions. Inspired by the assembly of these sophisticated structures in nature, the controlled assembly of synthetic peptides emerges as a promising approach to therapeutically relevant applications. The self-assembling biomimetic peptides could form well-ordered architectures through non-covalent interactions such as π-π stacking, van der Waals, electrostatic, and hydrogen bonding. In addition, the peptidic building blocks are highly biocompatible and allow facile chemical manipulation with diverse functionalities. For decades, a serious of engineered self-assembling peptides have been extensively studied as functional hydrogels for various applications. Meanwhile, the surface modification strategies based on self-assembling peptide matrices have also raised the attention of biomaterials researchers due to their programmability and 3D porous morphologies. This concise review will cover recent advances in self-assembling peptide matrices as functional coatings for implantable devices. The opportunities and challenges in this field will also be discussed.

Applications of Material-Binding Peptides: A Review

Material-binding peptides (MBPs) are functionalized adhesive materials consisting of a few to several dozen amino acids. This affinity between MBPs and materials is regulated by multiple interactions, including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, hydrophobic interactions, and π-π stacking. They show selective binding and high affinity to a diverse range of inorganic and organic materials, such as silicon-based materials, metals, metal compounds, carbon materials, and polymers. They are used to improve the biocompatibility of materials, increase the efficiency of material synthesis, and guide the controlled synthesis of nanomaterials. In addition, these can be used for precise targeting of proteins by conjugating to target biomolecules. In this review, we summarize the main designs and applications of MBPs in recent years. The discussions focus on more efficient and functional peptides, including evolution and overall design of MBPs. We have also highlighted the recent applications of MBPs, such as functionalization of material surfaces, synthesis of nanomaterials, drug delivery, cancer therapy, and plastic degradation. Besides, we also discussed the development trend of MBPs. This interpretation will accelerate future investigations to bottleneck the drawbacks of available MBPs, promoting their commercial applications.

Application of Chemical Technology of Water-Based Acrylic Dipping Paint in Art Painting Creation

In order to better sort out the superiority of water-based acrylic in painting art, explore and understand the uniqueness of water-based acrylic painting materials and apply this to art creation. The author proposes a chemical process based on water-based acrylic dipping paint, by discussing the coating and film properties of water-soluble acrylic dip paint, combined with the practical application of a casting tank; summarizing the countermeasures to solve the disadvantages of common paint films; and proving that the paint has a good comprehensive performance by comparing with other dipping paints. Experimental results show that based on the chemical process of water-based acrylic dipping paint, it has waterproof, high gloss, gloss retention, color retention, high weather resistance, and good corrosion resistance in the process of art painting; the physical parameters are better than other dipping paints, such as gloss can reach 70∼80%. Conclusion. In art painting, water-based acrylic dip paint is a kind of comprehensive performance paint with waterproof, high gloss, gloss retention, and color retention.

Rational design of smart nano-platforms based on antifouling-nanomaterials toward multifunctional bioanalysis

The ability to design nanoprobe devices with the capability of quantitative/qualitative operation in complex media will probably underpin the main upcoming progress in healthcare research and development. However, the biomolecules abundances in real samples can considerably alter the interface performance, where unwanted adsorption/adhesion can block signal response and significantly decrease the specificity of the assay. Herein, this review firstly offers a brief outline of several significances of fabricating high-sensitivity and low-background interfaces to adjust various targets' behaviors induced via bioactive molecules on the surface. Besides, some important strategies to resist non-specific protein adsorption and cell adhesion, followed by imperative categories of antifouling reagents utilized in the construction of high-performance solid sensory interfaces, are discussed. The next section specifically highlights the various nanocomposite probes based on antifouling-nanomaterials for electrode modification containing carbon nanomaterials, noble metal nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, polymer, and silicon-based materials in terms of nanoparticles, rods, or porous materials through optical or chemical strategies. We specially outline those nanoprobes that are capable of identification in complex media or those using new constructions/methods. Finally, the necessity and requirements for future advances in this emerging field are also presented, followed by opportunities and challenges.

A Peptide-Based Trap for Metal Ions Studied by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance

Peptide-based materials provide a versatile platform for sensing and ion sequestration since peptides are endowed with stimuli-responsive properties. The mechanism of molecular sensing is often based on peptide structural changes (or switching), caused by the binding of the target molecule. One scope of sensing applications is the selection of a specific analyte, which may be achieved by adjusting the structure of the peptide binding site. Therefore, exact knowledge of peptide properties and 3D-structure in the ‘switched’ state is desirable for tuning the detection and for further molecular construction. Hence, here we demonstrate the performance of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in the identification of metal ion binding by the antimicrobial peptide trichogin GA IV. Na(I), Ca(II), and Cu(II) ions were probed as analytes to evaluate the impact of coordination number, ionic radii, and charge. Conclusions drawn by EPR are in line with literature data, where other spectroscopic techniques were exploited to study peptide-ion interactions for trichogin GA IV, and the structural switch from an extended helix to a hairpin structure, wrapped around the metal ion upon binding of divalent cations was proposed.

Aggregation Properties of Albumin in Interacting with Magnetic Fluids

In this study, interactions of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles with serum albumin biomolecules in aqueous solutions were considered. The studies were conducted with the laser correlation spectroscopy and optical analysis of dehydrated films. It was shown that the addition of magnetite to an albumin solution at low concentrations of up to 10-6 g/L led to the formation of aggregates with sizes of up to 300 nm in the liquid phase and an increase in the number of spiral structures in the dehydrated films, which indicated an increase in their stability. With a further increase in the magnetite concentration in the solution (from 10-4 g/L), the magnetic particles stuck together and to albumin, thus forming aggregates with sizes larger than 1000 nm. At the same time, the formation of morphological structures in molecular films was disturbed, and a characteristic decrease in their stability occurred. Most stable films were formed at low concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles (less than 10-4 g/L) when small albumin-magnetic nanoparticle aggregates were formed. These results are important for characterizing the interaction processes of biomolecules with magnetic nanoparticles and can be useful for predicting the stability of biomolecular films with the inclusion of magnetite particles.

Effective Targeting of Raf-1 and Its Associated Autophagy by Novel Extracted Peptide for Treating Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death in women worldwide and has harmful influence on their psychological state during therapy. Multikinase inhibitors have become effective drugs for treating a variety of cancer diseases such as breast cancer. A purified short peptide (H-P) was isolated from the natural honey and tested for its potential regulatory role in breast cancer cells compared with the effectiveness of the anticancer drug, Sorafenib (SOR), using MCF-7, EFM-19, and MCF-10A cell lines. Furthermore, we investigated the direct connection between Raf-1 activation and cellular autophagy as potential targets of SOR and H-P extract using RNA interference. Interestingly, the treatment with H-P showed competitive regulation of phosphorylated Raf-1, MEK1/2, and matched autophagy-related LC3B without any detectable toxic effects in the non-tumorigenic epithelial cells. Unlike SOR, the regulation of Raf-1 protein and autophagic machinery by the novel H-P extract showed neglected levels of the released proinflammatory cytokine. This regulation of cytokine secretion by H-P resulted in decreasing the expression level of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) in treated cells. Moreover, the transfection of MCF-7 cells with small interference RNA (siRNA) antagonist Raf-1 expression markedly reduced the expression of LC3B, while it increased the expression of NF-kB1 and NF-kB2, indicating the potential cross-link between Raf-1, autophagy, and NF-kB effector. Collectively, these findings suggest that H-P-mediated Raf-1, MEK1/2, LC3B, and NF-kB provide a novel and efficacious multikinase inhibitor for treating breast cancer without detectable cytotoxic effects.

Electrochemical Biosensor with Enhanced Antifouling Capability for COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Detection in Complex Biological Media

Biofouling caused by the accumulation of biomolecules on sensing surfaces is one of the major problems and challenges to realize the practical application of electrochemical biosensors, and an effective way to counter this problem is the construction of antifouling biosensors. Herein, an antifouling electrochemical biosensor was constructed based on electropolymerized polyaniline (PANI) nanowires and newly designed peptides for the detection of the COVID-19 N-gene. The inverted Y-shaped peptides were designed with excellent antifouling properties and two anchoring branches, and their antifouling performances against proteins and complex biological media were investigated using different approaches. Based on the biotin-streptavidin affinity system, biotin-labeled probes specific to the N-gene (nucleocapsid phosphoprotein) of COVID-19 were immobilized onto the peptide-coated PANI nanowires, forming a highly sensitive and antifouling electrochemical sensing interface for the detection of COVID-19 nucleic acid. The antifouling genosensor demonstrated a wide linear range (10-14 to 10-9 M) and an exceptional low detection limit (3.5 fM). The remarkable performance of the genosensor derives from the high peak current of PANI, which is chosen as the sensing signal, and the extraordinary antifouling properties of designed peptides, which guarantee accurate detection in complex systems. These crucial features represent essential elements for future rapid and decentralized clinical testing.