IBM Research and Institute of Bingineering and Nanotechnology Convert Recycled Plastics into Disease Fighting Nanofibers
09/12/2013
Over a billion people are affected by fungal infections every year, ranging in severity from topical skin conditions like athletes foot to life-threatening fungal blood infections. The infection is more likely to occur when the bodys immune system is compromised due to an illness like HIV/AIDS, cancer or when receiving antibiotic treatment.
There is a pressing need to develop efficient and disease-specific antifungal agents to mitigate this growing drug resistance problem. Traditional antifungal therapeutics need to get inside the cell to attack the infection but have trouble targeting and penetrating the fungi membrane wall. Also, since fungi are metabolically similar to mammalian cells, existing drugs can have trouble differentiating between healthy and infected cells.
Recognizing this, IBM scientists applied an organic catalytic process to facilitate the transformation of PET, or waste plastic from a bottle, into entirely new molecules that can be transformed into antifungal agents. This is significant as plastic bottles are typically recycled by mechanical grounding and can mostly be reused only in secondary products like clothes, carpeting or playground equipment.
How it Works
These new antifungal agents self-assemble through a hydrogen-bonding process, sticking to each other like molecular Velcro in a polymer-like fashion to form nanofibers. This is important because these antifungal agents are only active as a therapeutic in the fiber or polymer-like form.
This novel nanofiber carries a positive charge and can selectively target and attach to only the negatively-charged fungal membranes based on electrostatic interaction. It then breaks through and destroys the fungal cell membrane walls, preventing it from developing resistance.
According to Dr Yi Yan Yang, Group Leader, IBN, The ability of these molecules to self-assemble into nanofibers is important because unlike discrete molecules, fibers increase the local concentration of cationic charges and compound mass. This facilitates the targeting of the fungal membrane and its subsequent lysis, enabling the fungi to be destroyed at low concentrations.
Leveraging IBM Research's computational capabilities, the researchers simulated the antifungal assemblies, predicting which structural modifications would create the desired therapeutic efficacy.
As computational predictive methodologies continue to advance, we can begin to establish ground rules for self assembly to design complex therapeutics to fight infections as well as the effective encapsulation, transport and delivery of a wide variety of cargos to their targeted diseased sites, said Dr. James Hedrick, Advanced Organic Materials Scientist, IBM Research Almaden.
The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the nanofibers, which is the lowest concentration that inhibits the visible growth of fungi, demonstrated strong antifungal activity against multiple types of fungal infections. In further studies conducted by Singapore's IBN, testing showed the nanofibers eradicated more than 99.9% of C. albicans, a fungal infection causing the third most common blood stream infection in the United States, after a single hour of incubation and indicated no resistance after 11 treatments. Conventional antifungal drugs were only able to suppress additional fungal growth while the infection exhibited drug resistance after six treatments
Additional findings of this research indicated the nanofibers effectively dispersed fungal biofilms after one-time treatment while conventional antifungal drugs were not effective against biofilms.
The in vivo antifungal activity of the nanofibers was also evaluated in a mouse model using a contact lens-associated C. albicans biofilm infection. The nanofibers significantly decreased the number of fungi, hindered new fungal structure growth in the cornea and reduced the severity of existing eye inflammation. These experiments also showed mammalian cells survived long after incubation with the nanofibers, indicating excellent in vitro biocompatibility. In addition, no significant tissue erosion is observed in the mouse cornea after topical application of the nanofibers.
A key focus of IBN's nanomedicine research efforts is the development of novel polymers and materials for more effective treatment and prevention of various diseases, said Professor Jackie Y. Ying, IBN Executive Director. Our latest breakthrough with IBM allows us to specifically target and eradicate drug-resistant and drug-sensitive fungi strains and fungal biofilms, without harming surrounding healthy cells.
The IBM nanomedicine program - which started in IBMs Research labs four years ago with the mission to improve human health stems from decades of materials development traditionally used for semiconductor technologies. This advance will expand the scope of IBM and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology's collaborative program, which already includes recent breakthroughs in fighting diseases ranging from breast cancer to MRSA. This allows the scientists to simultaneously pursue multiple methods for creating materials to improve medicine and drug discovery.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
01/05/2024
Release Rundown: What to Watch in May, From I Saw the TV Glow to Power
Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) develop an eerie connection to a supernatural TV show in Jane Schoebrun's I Saw the TV Glow....
01/05/2024
Celebrate May the 4th With Special Star Wars' Playlists, Audiobooks, and More
Spotify's Star Wars celebrations are in full Force starting today, and this ...
01/05/2024
Spotify's New Hardcore Gardening Playlist and Brain Dead Collab Will Rattle Greenhouses Everywhere
All around the world, millions of Spotify fans love listening to hardcore punk m...
01/05/2024
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSED ON THE AUDIO-VISUAL INDUSTRY, IS OPEN.
THE CALL FOR THE FIFTH PRESIDENTIAL EMPLOYMENT STIMULUS PROGRAMME (PESP5) FOCUSE...
01/05/2024
QTAKE Pioneers Live 3D Stream to Apple Vision Pro
QTAKE, the leading video assist and on-set collaboration software trusted by professional filmmakers worldwide, launched a new cutting-edge feature at NAB 2024....
01/05/2024
LA County Opens Entertainment Business Interruption Fund Grant Program for Small Business, LAEDC Offers Updates
In HPA's ongoing focus on providing input and insight from city and county g...
01/05/2024
Trailblazing AI Storytelling by Empowering Storytellers: Curious Refuge
HPA Newsline had the opportunity to speak with Caleb and Shelby Ward, founders of Curious Refuge. Caleb and Shelby were participants in the 2024 HPA Tech Retrea...
01/05/2024
Supporting Global Air Traffic Modernization through Managed Services Infrastructure
L3Harris works with air navigation service providers who efficiently manage air ...
01/05/2024
Q&A with Scott Alexander, Aerojet Rocketdyne's new Missile Solutions President
Scott Alexander, Missile Solutions President, Aerojet Rocketdyne...
01/05/2024
Comcast: More Than Half of Viewers Frustrated About Finding Content
NEW YORK Just over half of U.S. viewers are frustrated over their ability to be able to find content to watch on TV according to Comcast....
01/05/2024
Bally RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinare's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Elodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist
Light Iron, the post-production creative-services division of Panavision, is excited to announce that lodie Ichter has joined the company's artist roster a...
01/05/2024
CJP presents live mo-cap demos at MPTS
CJP Broadcast Service Solutions, systems integration, production and content digitisation specialist, will feature live motion capture demonstrations at the 202...
01/05/2024
Media Links Partners with Sunteq for Representation in S...
Media Links, manufacturer and pioneer in Media over IP transport technology, has partnered with Sunteq spol s.r.o., a leading reseller located in Slovakia to st...
01/05/2024
Dot Group Showcases Enhanced Data Management and Sustaina...
Dot Group, a leader in cutting-edge data management solutions and the premier European reseller of critical Broadcast supporting IBM technologies, will demonstr...
01/05/2024
Glensound shows the latest in IP audio at MPTS
Glensound, industry leader in high quality audio systems, is showcasing the latest additions to its extensive portfolio of networked audio products at MPTS. Aud...
01/05/2024
Hitomi Broadcast to demonstrate ST2110 MatchBox at MPTS
Hitomi Broadcast, a leader in audio/video alignment and latency solutions, will be demonstrating advancements in SMPTE ST2110 workflows ensuring broadcasters ha...
01/05/2024
Leading UK vendors join in the CABSAT 30th anniversary ce...
Taking a leading role in the 30th anniversary CABSAT exposition (Dubai World Trade Centre, 21 23 May), the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland pavilion will fe...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps Powers Notorious DITs Green Energy Initiative w...
NXTGENbps, a pioneer in green energy solutions, proudly announces its partnership with Notorious DIT, a leading provider of digital imaging technology services ...
01/05/2024
Videosys Broadcast Brings Pan and Tilt To Coverage Of The...
As Cambridge celebrated its double win over Oxford in the 2024 Boat Race, behind the scenes celebrations were also taking place at Videosys Broadcast to mark th...
01/05/2024
Live After 5' summer concert series returns to downtown Raleigh
A popular - and free - summer concert series is coming back to downtown Raleigh! WRAL is proudly partnering with Downtown Raleigh Alliance for its Live After ...
01/05/2024
Cadent Launches Performance TV To Boost Omnichannel Ad Results
Cadent said it launched Performance TV, designed to increase the effectiveness of campaign by combining the reach of traditional linear TV with the targeting of...
01/05/2024
Eric Johnson, KOMO Seattle Anchor, Sets Retirement
Eric Johnson, anchor at KOMO Seattle, will retire as of June 6. Johnson anchors the 5 and 6 p.m. weekday newscasts and writes/produces/hosts Eric's Heroes,...
01/05/2024
T-Mobile Dials Deeper Into Ad Business With Retail Network (NewFronts)
T-Mobile said it is expanding its advertising business, creating an in-store retail media network and adding Plex, the video streaming platform for its footprin...
01/05/2024
Samsung Ads Expands AI Tools To Target Streaming Viewers (NewFronts)
Samsung Ads said it was introducing new opportunities for advertisers to use data about its viewers to target viewers across the full marketing funnel at its Ne...
01/05/2024
Samsung TV Plus Swings for the Fences With Streaming Sports Channels (NewFronts)
Samsung's ad-supported streaming platform Samsung TV Plus is putting more sports in its lineup with free channels about baseball, golf, hockey, auto racing ...
01/05/2024
Dan Rather Documentary Offers Open-Book' Look at Newsman
Rather, a documentary about famed newsman Dan Rather, premieres on Netflix May 1. The film looks at his rise to prominence in TV news, including his work coveri...
01/05/2024
Ken Wayne, KRON San Francisco Anchor, Retires Next Month
Ken Wayne, evening anchor at KRON San Francisco, is retiring after 33 years in Bay Area television. He was born in Marin County, started his journalism career a...
01/05/2024
Jeff Blaszak Promoted To Senior VP at ShowSeeker
ShowSeeker, the company behind the Pilot cloud-based order management system, said it promoted Jeff Blaszak to senior VP of business operations and strategy....
01/05/2024
Great American Media Picks VideoAmp As Ad Currency
Great American Media said it reached an agreement with VideoAmp that will enable clients to use VideoAmp's ad buying measurement and data capabilities when ...
01/05/2024
NXTGENbps powers Molinaire's Notorious DIT
NXTGENbps battery solutions are designed to replace diesel generators and offer silent, emission-free power for various applications in film, TV, outside broadc...
01/05/2024
Amazon CEO: AWS has multi-billion dollar revenue run rate in AI already
Sales rose to $25bn during the first three months of 2024, up 17 per cent year-on-year By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 1, 2024 Sales rose to $25bn duri...
01/05/2024
Roku to Offer NBC Olympics Zone
NEW YORK NBCUniversal and Roku are teaming up to offer the NBC Olympic Zone on Roku, a new destination on the Roku Home Screen Menu. The dedicated channel wil...
01/05/2024
U.K.'s Freely Officially Launches
Freely the new streaming service backed by Britain's leading broadcasters BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 is now available through the next generation of ...
01/05/2024
Study: FAST Channel Growth Accelerates
NEW YORK A new report on free, ad-supported streaming channels indicates that their growth continues to accelerate, with the number of channels hours views and ...
01/05/2024
VuWall Unveils New Capabilities For VuStream 150 Video Encoder
MONTREAL VuWall has enhanced its VuStream 150 H.264 video encoder with new features and capabilities, including support for HDMI signals at resolutions up to 38...
01/05/2024
Samsung TV Plus Announces New High-Profile FAST Channels for Sports
NEW YORK At the IAB NewFronts 2024, Samsung Ads announced a new lineup of premium sports, music, family and entertainment content on its leading FAST service Sa...
01/05/2024
WAPA TV Celebrates 70th Anniversary As #1 Station in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO WAPA TV has announced that it will be celebrating its 70th anniversary on May 1 as the number 1 broadcasters on the island....
01/05/2024
Diamond Sports Group Renews Its Distribution Deal with Cox
SOUTHPORT, Conn. & ATLANTA Diamond Sports Group and Cox Communications have reached a multi-year renewal of their distribution agreement for the continued carri...
01/05/2024
Warner Bros. Discovery Networks Dropped by Fubo
As the NBA playoffs heat up on TNT, Warner Bros. Discovery and FuboTV have been unable to reach a new distribution deal. That impasse forced the vMVPD to drop T...
01/05/2024
Time for NAB Reality Check
Time for NAB Reality Check Andy Marken April 30, 2024 0 Comments Above image source - Allegiant, Summit Entertainment Great leaders don't seek...
01/05/2024
Dream Street Productions Switches Live Corporate Events with ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO
Dream Street Productions Switches Live Corporate Events with ATEM Television Stu...
01/05/2024
lodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist
lodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist Brie Clayton April 30, 2024 0 Comments Acclaimed colorist brings global expertise on high-profile pro...
01/05/2024
SVG Digital Engagement Forum: Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY
SVG Digital Engagement Forum: Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY Catch up on the latest in streaming, interactivity, engagement and more from this inau...
01/05/2024
David Beckham Scores on the Cover of 'Queue' Issue 16
Back to All News David Beckham Scores on the Cover of Queue Issue 16 David Beckham on the cover of Queue. Krista Smith Director, Queue Entertainment 01 Ma...
01/05/2024
Haivision Celebrates 20 Years of Leadership and Innovation in Live Video
MONTREAL, CANADA - May 1, 2024 - Haivision Systems Inc. ( Haivision ) (TSX: HAI), a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video networking and ...
01/05/2024
MPTS. London. May 15-16, 2024
Wednesday, 15 May 11:35 The Gallows Pole - Creating a Workflow to Support the Creative Vision FilmLight sits down with the award-winning Residence Pictures t...