Preparation and optimisation of molybdenum disulfide as an antimicrobial agent Joseph Monahan 1,3 , Fiona Walsh 2,3 , Carmel B. Breslin 1,3 1 Department of Chemistry, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland 2 Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland 3 Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland The build up of antimicrobial resistance has been identified by the United Nations as one of the largest emerging threats to health. The OECD has estimated that between 2015 and 2050 approximately 1.3 million people will die due to antimicrobial resistance, in Europe alone. The WHO has made a list of problematic bacteria which require urgent attention, referred to as ESKAPE Pathogens. 1 it is clear that new approaches are required to tackle this issue. Non-conventional antimicrobial agents are a way to ease the stress on traditional antibiotics. Materials like graphene have been shown to have antimicrobial activity, by causing damage to cellular membranes of pathogenic cells. 2 This has opened the doors for two- dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD), which are graphene-like in structure, to be explored. These are an emerging material which have been shown to have several electrochemical and biomedical applications. Molybdenum Disulfide can be formulated as a powder by hydrothermal synthesis. Molybdenum Disulfide has the potential to interact with microbial species via physical and chemical mechanisms. It can be optimised in several ways. Different sizes of nanosheets can be isolated via centrifugation. These sizes can lead to a variation in the biomedical applications of the sheets. Different sizes of nanosheets will lead to changes in the knife-like action of the sheets on the cellular membrane. The sheets can further be optimised through the introduction of dopants into the hydrothermal synthesis. The control of dopants allows the formation of the sheets as semiconductors. This allows the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which can have an antimicrobial effect. Metal dopants added, like Copper, were chosen due to their own antimicrobial properties. The biological testing method was designed and optimised using a non-pathogenic E. Coli strain, MG1655. A series of E. Coli dilutions were performed to determine the optimum concentration for antimicrobial action. Once optimised, this method will be used to test the material against different pathogenic species. References 1. https://www.who.int/news/item/27-02-2017-who-publishes-list-of-bacteria-for-which-new-antibiotics-are-urgently-needed 2. Karahen HE, et al. Graphene materials in antimicrobial nanomedicine: current status and future perspectives, Adv Healthcare Mat, 2018, 7(13),1701406.
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