How host mucosal defenses interact, and influence disease outcome is critical in understanding host defenses against pathogens. A more detailed understanding is needed of the interactions between the host and the functioning of its mucosal defenses in pathogen defense.

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Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a significant polymer that is based on renewable biomass resources. The production of PLA by polycondensation using heterogeneous catalysis is a focus for sustainable and economical processes. A series of samples comprising 12-tungstophosphoric acid (H 3 PW) supported on activated carbon, silica, and alumina induced the catalytic polymerization of D,L-lactic acid to form blends of PLA. The catalysts were characterized by multiple techniques to confirm the integrity of the Keggin anion as well as the acidity, which is the key property for relating structure to activity. The best reaction conditions were established for H 3 PW/C and tested for the other supported catalysts. The obtained polymer was a blend that was characterized as an enantiomeric excess (ee) of as much as 95% L-PLA (PLLA) with a mass average molar mass ( M w ) of approximately 14,900 daltons. The role of H 3 PW in these polymerizations was demonstrated, i.e., without the Keggin acid, only oligomeric units ( M w < 10,000 daltons) could be obtained. Additionally, inverse relationships between the M w of PLA and the enthalpy (–Δ H ) of the strongest sites of the catalysts were distinguished, i.e., PLA Mw-H3PW/C > PLA Mw-H3PW/Al2O3 > PLA Mw-H3PW/SiO2 , whereas the acidity (–Δ H ) order was as follows: H 3 PW/SiO 2 > H 3 PW/Al 2 O 3 > H 3 PW/C. These findings could be attributed to the correct tuning of strength and the accessibility of the sites to produce longer polymeric chains.

The field of drug discovery has seen significant progress in recent years. These advances drive the development of new technologies for testing compound’s effectiveness, as well as their adverse effects on organs and tissues. As an auxiliary tool for drug discovery, smart biomaterials and biopolymers produced from biodegradable monomers allow the manufacture of multifunctional polymeric devices capable of acting as biosensors, of incorporating bioactives and biomolecules, or even mimicking organs and tissues through self-association and organization between cells and biopolymers. This review discusses in detail the use of natural monomers for the synthesis of hydrogels via green routes. The physical, chemical and morphological characteristics of these polymers are described, in addition to emphasizing polymer–particle–protein interactions and their application in proteomics studies. To highlight the diversity of green synthesis methodologies and the properties of the final hydrogels, applications in the areas of drug delivery, antibody interactions, cancer therapy, imaging and biomarker analysis are also discussed, as well as the use of hydrogels for the discovery of antimicrobial and antiviral peptides with therapeutic potential.

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The modernization processes of the chemical industry over the last few years reinforce concerns about the sustainable use of natural resources and the synthesis of solvent‐free and low toxicity products. Additionally, the development of new catalysts capable of minimizing or even eliminating hazardous substances commonly used in the chemical industry has received increasing attention in the academic and industrial environments within the context of Green Chemistry, based on the search for products and processes capable of reducing or even eliminating the use of hazardous substances. This need becomes even greater when it comes to the synthesis and modification of biopolymers with great applicability in the biomedical field such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(caprolactone) (PCL) in addition to acrylate‐based polymers. The present review aims to discuss the major classes of green catalysts and biocatalysts, their main characteristics, and different synthetic routes. To emphasize the importance of green catalysts in the biomedical industry, different synthetic routes are discussed to obtain biopolymers and biomaterials whose different degradation products have low or no environmental impact, and whose yield rate, degradability, and selectivity are controlled by presence of a catalyst.

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The innate immune protection provided by cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) has been shown to extend to antiviral activity, with putative mechanisms of action including direct interaction with host cells or pathogen membranes. The lack of therapeutics available for the treatment of viruses such as Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) underscores the urgency of novel strategies for antiviral discovery. American alligator plasma has been shown to exhibit strong in vitro antibacterial activity, and functionalized hydrogel particles have been successfully employed for the identification of specific CAMPs from alligator plasma. Here, a novel bait strategy in which particles were encapsulated in membranes from either healthy or VEEV‐infected cells was implemented to identify peptides preferentially targeting infected cells for subsequent evaluation of antiviral activity. Statistical analysis of peptide identification results was used to select five candidate peptides for testing, of which one exhibited a dose‐dependent inhibition of VEEV and also significantly inhibited infectious titers. Results suggest our bioprospecting strategy provides a versatile platform that may be adapted for antiviral peptide identification from complex biological samples.