New Molecular Insights into Antibacterial Materials
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 1051
Special Issue Editor
Interests: microbiology; microbial biotechnology; antimicrobial activity; antimicrobial materials
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become unresponsive to antimicrobial treatments by several genomic and extra-genomic mechanisms. Due to drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial treatments lose their effectiveness, making infections challenging or impossible to manage, thus increasing the risk of disease transmission as well as the incidence of serious illness, disability, and mortality.
This alarming trend requires both new antimicrobial alternatives that are specific for the human health, food production, animal, and environmental sectors and unique new antimicrobial strategies applicable across all these areas. There is an urgent need for novel treatment approaches, driving progress aimed at creating innovative solutions to tackle resistant pathogens and improve public health, including antimicrobial materials.
Molecular strategies for antimicrobial resistance include the employment of different novel materials possessing antimicrobial characteristics. It is the case of nanomaterials, nanoparticles (NPs) (silver, copper, and zinc oxide NPs), biopolymers (chitosan, alginate, and levan), and antimicrobial peptides. Smart materials that offer specific and regulated antimicrobial effects, including plasma treatments or chemical grafting modifying the surfaces of materials to trigger or increase their antimicrobial properties, are other promising antimicrobial solutions currently explored to fight pathogen resistance.
Such developments are vital in combating infections and creating safer healthcare conditions. Here, both experimental and review articles as well as communication on the reported topics are welcome.
Dr. Rahela Carpa
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- antimicrobial resistance
- nanoparticles
- biopolymers
- antimicrobial peptides
- antimicrobial materials
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