Microbiology

The Zika virus infects the central nervous system and results in severe brain malformation. An amphiphatic peptide is now shown to penetrate the blood–brain barrier, reducing viral loads due to its activity against Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses.

Antiviral nanoparticle-formulated mimics of heparan sulfate proteoglycans were developed and shown to permit strong viral association as well as inhibition of a range of viruses on in vitro and in vivo models of infection.

Nanostructured plasmonic substrates are used for in situ, label-free detection, by surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering spectroscopy, of quorum sensing in growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.