Engineering Gram Selectivity of Mixed‐Charge Gold Nanoparticles by Tuning the Balance of Surface Charges |
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| Authors: | Dr Pramod P Pillai Dr Bartlomiej Kowalczyk Prof Kristiana Kandere‐Grzybowska Dr Magdalena Borkowska Prof Bartosz A Grzybowski |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA;2. Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, Pune, India;3. IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter and Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, South Korea |
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| Abstract: | Nanoparticles covered with ligand shells comprising both positively and negatively charged ligands exhibit Gram‐selective antibacterial action controlled by a single experimental parameter, namely the proportion of +] and ?] ligands tethered onto these particles. Gram selectivity is attributed to the interplay between polyvalent electrostatic and non‐covalent interactions that work in unison to disrupt the bacterial cell wall. The +/?] nanoparticles are effective in low doses, are non‐toxic to mammalian cells, and are tolerated well in mice. These results constitute the first example of rational engineering of Gram selectivity at the (macro)molecular level. |
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| Keywords: | antibiotics Gram specificity ligands nanoparticles surface charge |
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