Antibacterial Therapeutic Agents Composed of Functional Biological Molecules

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of antibacterial mechanism of aptamer-TiO₂. Step 1: TiO₂ particles conjugated with aptamer bind on the cellular surface. The aptamer specifically recognizes its receptor on the bacterial surface to make the TiO₂ particles closely contact with the cell membrane. Step 2: TiO₂ is excited under UV irradiation to generate electrons on its surface and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Steps 3 and 4: ROS causes oxidative damage to bacteria by disrupting the cell wall or damaging DNA/RNA and proteins.