Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Brian Flax, Andrew Tortora, Yen Yeung, Wayne W. Schubert, Gerald McDonnell
Summary: This study developed an antimicrobial model for interplanetary sterilization processes based on experimental data of temperature and exposure time, taking into consideration microorganisms with higher heat resistance than those traditionally used in terrestrial applications.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
A. M. DeMarco, G. Korza, M. R. Granados, W. W. K. Mok, P. Setlow
Summary: The study found that dodecylamine may be a universal sporicide for Firmicute species, killing spores by damaging their inner membrane. Additionally, spores killed by dodecylamine cannot be recovered by additions to recovery media, indicating that these spores are truly dead.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Victor Santos-Rosales, Clara Lopez-Iglesias, Ana Sampedro-Viana, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Samaneh Ghazanfari, Beatriz Magarinos, Carlos A. Garcia-Gonzalez
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) worldwide, leading to the development of new strategies for reusing PPE. This study proposes a supercritical CO2-based sterilization method for contaminated facemasks, which can remove contaminants while preserving the masks' performance. The method allows for the reprocessing of FFP3 masks for up to 10 cycles, with no observed changes in their functional properties.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Victorine Warambourg, Adil Mouahid, Christelle Crampon, Anne Galinier, Magalie Claeys-Bruno, Elisabeth Badens
Summary: The aim of this study was to develop a sterilization process for thermosensitive polymeric materials using supercritical carbon dioxide. The optimal conditions for bacterial reduction, with a reduction of 8.73-log, were found to be a pressure of 110 bar, temperature of 40 degrees C, treatment duration of 20 minutes, and the addition of 200 ppm of H2O2.
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Victor Santos-Rosales, Beatriz Magarinos, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Carlos A. Garcia-Gonzalez
Summary: This study utilized supercritical CO2 as a foaming and sterilizing agent for the production of vancomycin-loaded PCL bone scaffolds, showing promising sustained release profiles and good biocompatibility and angiogenic response in in vitro and in ovo experiments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Kristina Vaikovna Stott, Lyssa Morgan, Caitlin Shearer, Morgan Byrd Steadham, Mihaela Ballarotto, Ryan Hendrickson
Summary: Planetary protection is crucial for preventing contamination in the solar system. Current sampling and processing methods have limitations, and membrane filtration has been proposed as an alternative method with several advantages.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Hanbyeol Jang, My-Chi Nguyen, Sojung Noh, Woo Kyung Cho, Youngku Sohn, Kiju Yee, Heesoo Jung, Jeongkwon Kim
Summary: UV laser sterilization of ceramic tiles was found to be more effective on vitrified tiles than on porous tiles, and more effective on white and matte tiles than on black and glossy tiles when destroying Bacillus atrophaeus spores. The study evaluated the effects of UV irradiation based on water absorption, tile color, and surface brightness.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Victor Santos-Rosales, Beatriz Magarinos, Ricardo Starbird, Javier Suarez-Gonzalez, Jose B. Farina, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Carlos A. Garcia-Gonzalez
Summary: A supercritical CO2 sterilization protocol was successfully implemented to prepare and sterilize polymeric scaffolds for regenerative medicine. The sterilization conditions were established after screening against various bacteria and spores, and a transition to compressed foaming was achieved through controlled depressurization. Using this technology, sterile scaffolds with well-controlled pore architecture were obtained, surpassing standard gamma radiation sterilization methods.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Wayne W. Schubert, Emily P. Seto, Akemi A. Hinzer, Lisa Guan
Summary: To ensure the cleanliness of the spacecraft, instruments, and assembly areas during NASA's Mars 2020 mission, bioassays were conducted from May 2014 to July 2020, resulting in 1811 sampling sessions. A collection of microbial specimens was assembled to understand their presence, with over 3489 isolates identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Most of the identified genera belonged to Gram-positive bacteria, particularly the Bacillus genus.
Review
Microbiology
Valentina A. Floccari, Anna Dragos
Summary: The interaction between temperate phages and their bacterial hosts is controversial due to the conflicting nature of their relationship. Phages depend on their hosts for reproduction, while hosts may exploit the genetic arsenal carried in the phage genome. Recent discoveries of new phage lifestyles and regulatory systems challenge the traditional understanding and suggest a manipulative strategy pursued by certain temperate phages.
CURRENT OPINION IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Antonio Tabernero, Alvaro Gonzalez-Garcinuno, Stefano Cardea, Eva Martin del Valle
Summary: Supercritical CO2 techniques show promise for biomedical product development, but face challenges in terms of real physiological behavior and economic competitiveness in practical applications.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Andrew C. Schuerger, Adriana V. Borrell
Summary: The research aimed to determine the threshold for spore dislodgement during spacecraft launches or landings. The results showed that spores of Bacillus subtilis 168 and B. atrophaeus ATCC 9372 were dislodged from ChemFilm-coated aluminum coupons during shock impact events, while the threshold for dislodging B. pumilus SAFR-032 spores was higher. Vibrational g-loads had minimal effect on spore dislodgement, with the number of released spores depending on the Earth's g-vector relative to the bacterial monolayers.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
R. J. J. de Wit, D. J. van Dis, M. E. Bertrand, D. Tiemessen, S. Siddiqi, E. Oosterwijk, A. F. T. M. Verhagen
Summary: The development of ready-to-use biomaterials and scaffolds is crucial for the advancement of scaffold-based tissue engineering in clinical practice. Decellularization of hard tissues using supercritical carbon-dioxide followed by washing steps is an effective method that reduces handling time and preserves important tissue components. This alternative method shows promise for decellularization and sterilization of dense materials.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Charlotte Da Silva, Camille Lamarche, Carole Pichereaux, Emmanuelle Mouton-Barbosa, Gauthier Demol, Sebastien Boisne, Etienne Dague, Odile Burlet-Schiltz, Flavien Pillet, Marie-Pierre Rols
Summary: Low-energy electron beams (LEEB) are a safe and practical sterilization solution for industrial applications. To address the limitations of LEEB, we developed a low-energy pulsed electron beam generator (LEPEB) that can effectively and efficiently eradicate bacteria in a wide range of industrial applications.
BIOELECTROCHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lea Andree, Josephine Dodemont, Harry R. Harhangi, Koen Dijkstra, Laura van Niftrik, Fang Yang, Sander C. G. Leeuwenburgh
Summary: Nanoparticles are extensively researched for biomedical applications, but scalable sterilization methods for nanoparticles are limited. This study investigates the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) to effectively inactivate Staphylococcus aureus in gelatin nanoparticles (GNPs) without altering their structure and function. It is found that scCO2 treatment successfully inactivates Staphylococcus aureus in GNPs while maintaining their morphology, size, and surface charge. However, the cytocompatibility of GNPs decreases after scCO2 treatment, suggesting further optimization is needed. Overall, this work highlights the promising potential of scCO2 for pathogen inactivation in nanoparticles.
JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS
(2023)