Hao Xie

After demineralization, jiangjunjia scales used as collagen scaffolds retain their Bouligand structure and internal collagen fiber morphology. After remineralization, they exhibit excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility.

The mineralized PVA/Col–CaCO₃ film play an essential role in guided bone-regeneration (GBR) techniques, which exhibited good mechanical and bioactive properties.

Direct interaction between carbon dots (CDs) and biomolecules leads to changes in the chemical and physical status as well as properties of CDs, which can have various biological and biomedical applications. In this work, the surface of CDs was modified with cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to facilitate interactions between CDs and biomolecules. Multiple fluorescence response behaviours of CPC-based CDs were observed towards several proteins (bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, protamine, and hemoglobin) and bacterial cells (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding were involved in inducing aggregation of CDs and fluorence enhancement. An inner filter effect might also occur to reduce fluorescence of CDs when interacting with proteins. Selective antibacterial activity of CPC-based CDs was observed towards Gram positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. This work provides potential to develop CD-based techniques for detecting and visualizing proteins/bacteria as well as selective antibacterial agents towards Gram-positive bacteria.

A gel-like silk film is used as the substrate to regulate the formation of monetite with hierarchical structure. The silk film not only changed the crystallization pathway, but also significantly modified the morphology of the crystals.

Dispersin B (DspB) is a member of glycoside hydrolase family 20 (GH20) and catalyzes degradation of biofilms forming by pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. Magnetoreceptor (MagR) is a magnetic protein that can be used as a fusion partner for functionally immobilizing proteins on magnetic surfaces. In the present study, a recombinant protein DspB-MagR was constructed by fusing MagR to the C-terminus of DspB and expressed in Escherichia coli. Magnetic immobilization of purified DspB-MagR on magnetic core–shell structured Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles was achieved and characterized by means of various techniques including SDS-PAGE, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, zeta potential measurement, and scanning electron microscopy. It was evaluated the influence of temperature, pH, and storage time on the performance of immobilized DspB-MagR on Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles. Removal of biofilms forming by Staphylococcus aureus and other medical sourced bacterial species was achieved by using Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles loading with DspB-MagR. This work promoted potential applications of DspB and similar enzymes for medical purposes.

The intrafibrillar mineralization of collagen films with oriented calcium fluoride nanocrystals in vitro is realized. The growth process of the mineralized collagen films is revealed and they exhibit an enhanced cell proliferation.