Covalently attached lysozyme-ZnO nanoparticle (L-ZNP) conjugates were synthesized by a low temperature solution route. Tailored L-ZNP conjugates exhibit pronounced antibacterial features against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).

Intelligently designed surface nanoarchitecture provides defined control over the behavior of cells and biomolecules at the solid-liquid interface. In this study, CuO quantum dots (quanta-CuO; ∼3-5 nm) were synthesized by a simple, low-temperature solution process and further formulated as paint to construct quanta-CuO thin film on glass. Surface morphological characterizations of the as-coated glass surface reveal a uniform film thickness (∼120 ± 10 nm) with homogeneous distribution of quanta-CuO. The antibiofilm assay showed a very high contact bacteria-killing capacity of as-coated quanta-CuO glass surfaces toward Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. This efficient antibacterial/antibiofilm activity was ascribed to the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the quanta-CuO attached to the bacterial cells, which leads to an oxidative assault and finally results in bacterial cell death. Although there is a significant debate regarding the CuO nanostructure's antibacterial mode of action, we propose both contact killing and/or copper ion release killing mechanisms for the antibiofilm activity of quanta-CuO paint. Moreover, synergism of quanta-CuO with conventional antibiotics was also found to further enhance the antibacterial efficacy of commonly used antibiotics. Collectively, this state-of-the-art design of quanta-CuO coated glass can be envisioned as promising candidates for various biomedical and environmental device coatings.

Exposure of mammalian cells to oxidative stress alters lysosomal enzymes. Through cytochemical analysis of lysosomes with LysoTracker, we demonstrated that the number and fluorescent intensity of lysosome-like organelles in HeLa cells increased with exposure to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), and UVB irradiation. The lysosomes isolated from HeLa cells exposed to three oxidative stressors showed the enhanced antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli. Further, when lysosomes that were isolated from HeLa cells exposed by oxidative stress were treated to normal HeLa cells, the viability of the HeLa cells was drastically reduced, suggesting increased in vitro lysosomal function (i.e., antimicrobial activity, apoptotic cell death). In addition, we also found that cathepsin B and D were implicated in increased in vitro lysosomal function when isolated from HeLa cells exposed by oxidative stress. Decrease in cathepsin B activity and increase in cathepsin D activity were observed in lysosomes isolated from HeLa cells after treatment with H₂O₂, 6-ODHA, or UVB, but cathepsin B and D were not the sole factors to induce cell death by in vitro lysosomal function. Therefore, these studies suggest a new approach to use lysosomes as antimicrobial agents and as new materials for treating cancer cell lines.

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