Bionanotechnology Lab working on silver nanoparticles to fight antibiotic resistance in bacteria

This is one the projects supported by the Russian Science Foundation in 2021.

Project implementer, Lead Research Associate Elvira Rozhina explains, “A rapid growth of pathogenic antibiotic-resistant microbes stems from a widespread use of antibiotics, now several decades long. We have to find new antimicrobial agents which are less susceptible to this problem. We think that silver nanoparticles may be one such agent. Biological synthesis of nanoparticles seems to be very beneficial. For instance, biogenic particles are more stable and easier to control; they are also highly biocompatible because no toxic compounds are involved.”

The researchers are especially focused on the phenomenon of self-assembly of nanoparticles.

“Nanoparticles are obtained through a reduction of silver nitrate,” says Rozhina. “We assemble nano-‘pieces’ from smaller particles. After that, they have to be fixated with a stabilizer so that their size doesn’t change. We are the first group to use peat moss extraction as the reducer and the stabilizer.”

Peat moss was washed and dried, and then the extraction was made via centrifugation. After that, the extraction was mixed with silver nitrate and left to dry for several days.

The lab now has to evaluate the material’s antibacterial activity and find out whether it’s worth scaling up the production.

 

Source text: Larisa Busil

Translation: Yury Nurmeev