Functional Nanomaterials for the Treatment and Prevention of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Their Biofilm Structures

Abstract

This presentation focuses on the development and evaluation of advanced antibacterial and anti-biofilm nanocomplexes synthesized through innovative hybrid nanomaterial approaches. These nanocomplexes were designed to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is projected to rival cancer in mortality by 2050. Through the synthesis of metal and carbon-based nanocomposites, the research demonstrates enhanced antimicrobial properties against antibiotic-resistant bacteria while maintaining low cytotoxicity, even at low concentrations. The nanocomplexes were highly effective in both preventing and disrupting resilient biofilm structures, which are often impervious to conventional antibiotic treatments.

Mechanistic studies revealed that these nanocomplexes achieve their effects through multiple synergistic actions, including physical disruption of bacterial membranes, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inhibition of quorum sensing. Additionally, the research highlights the potential of these nanomaterials as a novel therapeutic approach with a lower likelihood of inducing bacterial resistance. The findings underscore the promise of nanotechnology in overcoming the limitations of current antibiotic treatments and provide a foundation for future research in combating AMR and biofilm-related infections.

Biography

Jonghoon Choi is a professor at the School of Integrative Engineering at Chung-Ang University and an adjunct professor at the School of Dentistry, Yonsei University. In 2020, he founded the Feynman Institute of Technology Nanomedicine Corp, a biotech start-up company in Korea, where he also serves as CEO. Jonghoon graduated from Seoul National University with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering in 2004. Subsequently, he attended the University of Maryland as a doctoral research scientist in a joint program with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, where he earned his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering under the mentorship of Professor Nam Sun Wang and Dr. Vytas Reipa in 2008. As a joint postdoctoral fellow between NIST and Johns Hopkins Medicine, Jonghoon worked with Professor Assaf Gilad in the Department of Radiology in 2009. He later moved to MIT for his postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Chris Love in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Since 2012, Jonghoon has led his own lab, focusing on the development of innovative nanobiosensors and smart nanobiomaterials for applications in nanomedicine. His research has been cited over 6,200 times, earning him an h-index of 41 as of September 2024 (https://scholar.google.co.kr/citations?hl=en&pli=1&user=ELY5I-AAAAAJ).

Jonghoon has received several prestigious awards, including the Young Asian Biotechnologist Award (2022) from the Society for Biotechnology, Japan, the Paul Jensen Award (2023) from the Korean AIDS Research Association, and the Young Researcher Award (2023) from the Korea Nano Research Association.