Electrically conductive nanowires controlled one pivotal route in energy harvest and microbial corrosion via direct metal-microbe electron transfer

Extracellular electron transfer(EET)plays a critical role in bioelectrochemical processes,allowing cou-pling between microorganisms and extracellular solid-state electrodes,metals,or other cells in energy metabolism.Previous studies have suggested a role for outer-surface c-type cytochromes in direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer by Geobacter sulfurreducens,a model electroactive bacterium.Here,we ex-amined the possibility of other microbially produced electrical contacts by deleting the gene for PilA,the protein monomer that G.sulfurreducens assembles into electrically conductive protein nanowires(e-pili).Deleting pilA gene inhibited electron extraction from pure iron and 316L stainless steel up to 31%and 81%,respectively more than deleting the gene for the outer-surface cytochrome OmcS.This PilA-deficient phenotype,and the observation that relatively thick biofilms(21.7μm)grew on the metal surfaces at multi-cell distances from the metal surfaces suggest that e-pili contributed significantly to microbial cor-rosion via direct metal-to-microbe electron transfer.These results have implications for the fundamental understanding of electron harvest via e-pili by electroactive microbes,their uses in bioenergy production,as well as in monitoring and mitigation of metal biocorrosion.

Fabricating antibacterial CoCrCuFeNi high-entropy alloy via selective laser melting and in-situ alloying

A quasi-equiatomic CoCrFeCuNi high-entropy alloy(HEA) with a broad-spectrum antibacterial ability and good mechanical properties has been fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM) and in-situ alloying of a blend of pre-alloyed CoCrFeNi powder and Cu elemental powder.The as-built HEA alloy has a homogeneous distribution of Cu and presents a single FCC phase.Compared with the same HEA fabricated using the traditional ingot metallurgy(IM) process,the HEA alloy fabricated by SLM releases more Cu ions to prevent growth and biofilm formation by gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus,which enhances the applicability of the HEA alloy in potential applications that requires antibacterial ability.The results of this study confirm the feasibility of combining the antibacterial CoCrFeCuNi HEA alloy and SLM technology in fabricating complex shaped parts or structures with a strong antibacterial ability to be used in medical application or other environments desired for antibacterial ability.

Host defense peptide-mimickingβ-peptide polymer displaying strong antibacterial activity against cariogenic Streptococcus mutans

Cariogenic Streptococcus mutans(S.mutans)is a leading cause of bacterial-induced oral diseases.Current strategies to kill bacteria based on Host defense peptide(HDP)mimicking polymers hold promise to treat oral bacterial infection.Here,we explore the impact of hydrophobic subunit and chain length variation on the antibacterial and antibiofilm activity ofβ-peptide polymers.The physicochemical and biological prop-erties,such as the toxicity,the antibacterial activity,and the effect on bacterial transcription ofβ-peptide polymers,were systematically investigated with numerous techniques.The results exhibited that the op-timalβ-peptide polymer has low toxicity towards human periodontal ligament fibroblasts,andβ-peptide polymers(especially P3)have more excellent antibacterial activity against S.mutans than metronidazole.In addition,β-peptide polymers inhibited the reversible and irreversible bacterial adhesion during the formation of biofilms.The polymer can promote biofilm dispersion by decreasing the hydrophobicity of bacterial cells after adhering to cell surfaces.Analysis of the transcriptome for S.mutans treated withβ-peptide polymers demonstrated thatβ-peptide polymers could reduce the cariogenicity of S.mutans by impacting the transcription of the energy and acid metabolism-related genes.β-peptide polymers are promising antimicrobial agents in clinical dentistry due to their high antibacterial efficiency and low tox-icity.

Study on disc cutter chipping of TBM based on field data and particle flow code simulation

Using tunnel boring machines to excavate high-strength intact rock masses is becoming more common.Due to the interactions between disc cutters and rocks,abnormal wear of disc cutters,especially cutter chipping,has become a common phenomenon.Existing research has mainly focused on normal wear of disc cutters without addressing abnormal wear cases.This study used the disc cutter consumption data of a tunnel project in China to investigate the abovementioned problem based on field research.According to the fail-ure patterns and fracture surface characteristics,the cutter chipping patterns were mainly categorized into four types:granule chipping,patch chipping,primary collapse,and secondary collapse.To further simulate the evolution of disc cutter chipping,based on the linear plastic bond model,a new contact model called the modified plastic bond(MPB)model was proposed to solve the metal simulation prob-lem in Particle Flow Code software.To this end,a set of uniaxial tensile and compressive tests were initially conducted to verify the applicability of the MPB model.Then,a series of three-dimensional rock-cutting simulation tests were conducted to reflect the evolu-tionary processes involved in each type of cutter chipping.The cutter chipping mechanism and morphological characteristics were clas-sified and summarized in detail.The results revealed that the cutting speed and penetration growth led to a rising trend in the probability and intensity of the cutter chipping.The presence of initial defects also induced an adverse effect on the service life of the cutter.The results indicated suitable working conditions for the cutter and suggested ways to control tunneling parameters and avoid frequent cutter chipping cases.