Summary
- Major: Biomedical Engineering
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Xiaoshan Zhu
- Research Topic: Designing High-Turnover Nanozymes for Antimicrobial Applications
Abstract
As antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to develop and spread, new strategies are necessary to win the evolutionary arms race against these organisms. In Dr. Zhu’s lab, we are synthesizing nanozymes–nanomaterials that exhibit peroxidase-like activity–which represent a promising avenue in this field, as they can generate hydroxyl radicals from hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria. Although nanozymes hold great potential for antimicrobial applications, they currently suffer from limited substrate specificity and low turnover numbers (kcat), hindering their catalytic efficiency. This proposed project aims to design nanozymes with increased catalytic efficiency by using metal-doped carbon dots. Specifically, we will synthesize carbon dots doped with single-atom metal centers to maximize active site dispersion and improve peroxidase-like activity. This work will provide a nanozyme with high catalytic efficiency and turnover for deployment in combating drug-resistant bacteria, as well as for other potential biomedical applications such as immunoassays.