Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy

Funder

Organizational Unit

Publications

Protein-based Hydroxyapatite materials: tuning composition towards biomedical applications

Publication . Veiga, Anabela; Castro, Filipa; Rocha, Fernando; Oliveira, Ana

Synthetic hydroxyapatite (HAp) has been successfully produced with the aim of obtaining biomaterials that meet the biomechanical requirements for bone tissue engineering while being compatible with the surrounding biochemical and cellular environment. Combining proteins with HAp can generate improved composite biomaterials, which are environmentally friendly, renewable and biocompatible. In this context, HAp/protein-based composite materials have been widely exploited since the late 20th century to the present day. In this review, we explore the biomedical relevance of the association of HAp with several proteins of interest such as fibroin, sericin, fibrin and keratin. The processing strategies for their synthesis and effect on the obtained shape and physicochemical, mechanical and biological performance are herein discussed. This work can provide useful information for the design of HAp-based biomaterials with specific emphasis on bone tissue regeneration characteristics for biomedical applications.

2020Journal article

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Living with sulfonamides: a diverse range of mechanisms observed in bacteria

Publication . Nunes, Olga C.; Manaia, Célia M.; Kolvenbach, Boris A.; Corvini, Philippe F.-X.

Sulfonamides are the oldest class of synthetic antibiotics still in use in clinical and veterinary settings. The intensive utilization of sulfonamides has been leading to the widespread contamination of the environment with these xenobiotic compounds. Consequently, in addition to pathogens and commensals, also bacteria inhabiting a wide diversity of environmental compartments have been in contact with sulfonamides for almost 90 years. This review aims at giving an overview of the effect of sulfonamides on bacterial cells, including the strategies used by bacteria to cope with these bacteriostatic agents. These include mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, co-metabolic transformation, and partial or total mineralization of sulfonamides. Possible implications of these mechanisms on the ecosystems and dissemination of antibiotic resistance are also discussed.

2020Journal article

Restricted access