Bactericidal and Antiviral Bionic Metalized Nanocoatings

Abstract

In diverse living organisms, bionanocoatings provide multiple functionalities, to the surfaces they cover. We have, previously, identified the molecular mechanisms of Turing-based self-assembly of insect corneal nanocoatings and developed forward-engineering approaches to construct multifunctional soft bionic nanocoatings, encompassing the Drosophila protein Retinin. Here, we expand the versatility of the bionic nanocoatings, by identifying and using diverse Retinin-like proteins and different methods of their metallization, using nickel, silver, and copper ions. Comparative assessment, of the resulting bactericidal, antiviral, and cytotoxic properties, identifies the best protocols, to construct safe and anti-infective metalized bionic nanocoatings. Upscaled application of these protocols, to various public surfaces, may represent a safe and economic approach to limit hazardous infections.

Evolutionary bet-hedging at the nanoscale

“…Arthropods possess diverse types of anti-re ective corneal nanocoatings, represented, in addition to the nipple arrays, by parallel strands, maze-like structures, irregularly spaced protrusions, dimples, and various transitions among them 7,10,11,21,22 . In our ongoing exploration of the diversity of insect corneal nanocoatings, we here assessed 97 species of the order Coleoptera (beetles, Supplementary Table S1).…”

“…While genome sequencing and assembly of some re ies are in process 37 , Luciola and Lampyris genomes have not yet been sequenced. This prevented us from a direct assessment of the corneal proteome and identi cation of the Turing Activator candidates -the approach we have previously applied to several insects with sequenced genomes 8,11,21 . However, earlier we showed that admixing of waxes (Turing Inhibitor) and Drosophila Retinin (Turing Activator) on glass surfaces recapitulates diverse insect-like nanocoatings such as nipples-like, maze-like and dimpled patterns, with different light-and liquid-handing functionalities 8,11 .…”

“…Nanoparticles could be formed from metals' salts in Retinin or Retinin-like proteins' solutions 11 . We created gold nanoparticles through metal ion binding, reduction and coalescence, following the kinetics of their formation with light absorbance 41 (Supplementary Fig.…”

“…This prevented us from a direct assessment of the corneal proteome and identi cation of the Turing Activator candidates -the approach we have previously applied to several insects with sequenced genomes 8,11,21 . However, earlier we showed that admixing of waxes (Turing Inhibitor) and Drosophila Retinin (Turing Activator) on glass surfaces recapitulates diverse insect-like nanocoatings such as nipples-like, maze-like and dimpled patterns, with different light-and liquid-handing functionalities 8,11 . Our simulations predict that the paving stones-like nanostructures can be obtained by decreasing the diffusion coe cient of the Turing Activator (Supplementary Note 2, Fig.…”

“…Corroborating this prediction, the areal of Luciola is restricted to the mild Mediterranean, while that of Lampyris spreads across most of Eurasia. In a forward-engineering approach, arti cial Turing nanocoatings can be produced 8,10,11 . We nd that modifying the diffusion coe cient of the Turing Activator creates Luciola re y-like nanocoatings whose parameter space is restricted as compared to the parental structures: they can form only in a narrowed range of temperatures.…”