@article {48221,
	title = {Algal biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds as a biomimetic platform with antibacterial and wound healing activities},
	journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials},
	volume = {4},
	year = {2022},
	month = {AUG},
	pages = {5800-5812},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>
	The confluence of hydrogel scaffolds and dried algal biomass (AB), consisting of all the bioactive compounds, offers the possibility to facilitate wound healing while simultaneously instilling antibacterial benefits. For this purpose, a single-step synthesis of algal (Chlorella sorokiniana) biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds (AHS) was achieved. C. sorokiniana has been used in different areas for several years and has proved attractive to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Of note, the presence of phytochemicals and various bioactive compounds provides an added health benefit. Hitherto, we report AHS with accelerated wound healing along with potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. AHS consisting of different concentrations of AB was applied for 14 days on excisional wounds in mice. Microscopic analyses, assessment of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and histological studies were performed to investigate wound healing. These scaffolds were extensively characterized and studied using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, Raman, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, swelling, rheological, thermal, and mechanical analyses. AHS have excellent biocompatibility in addition to significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (99\%) and Staphylococcus aureus (98\%). We believe that the as-synthesized AHS have the potential to broaden the arsenal of more effective wound healing processes along with antibacterial activities.</p>
},
	keywords = {antibacterial activity, Biomass, hydrogel scaffold, microalgae, wound Healing},
	issn = {2637-6105},
	doi = {10.1021/acsapm.2c00722},
	author = {Agarwal, Aakanksha and Kumar, Arun and Garg, Piyush and Chakraborty, Arnab and Verma, Ranjan and Sarwat, Maryam and Gupta, Ajay and Sasmal, Pijus K. and Verma, Yogesh Kumar and Chowdhury, Chiranjit and Mukherjee, Monalisa}
}
@article {49959,
	title = {Enzymatic pathway for kupyaphore degradation in mycobacterium tuberculosis: mechanism of metal homeostasis and turnover},
	journal = {ACS Chemical Biology},
	volume = {20},
	year = {2025},
	month = {JUN },
	pages = {1492-1504},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {<p>
	Metallophores are essential for metal homeostasis, regulating availability, and mediating host-pathogen interactions. Kupyaphores are specialized metallophores produced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) that primarily chelate zinc to support bacterial survival. Elevated kupyaphore levels early in infection highlight their importance, while their rapid decline, despite increasing bacterial loads, indicates tightly regulated mechanisms of production, consumption, and degradation. However, the processes driving kupyaphore catabolism and their role in preventing zinc toxicity in Mtb remain unclear. Here, we show that covalent modification of the isonitrile moiety in kupyaphores releases zinc, triggering degradation through a sequential three-step enzymatic pathway encoded by Mtb. Isonitrile hydratase converts isonitrile groups into formamides, which are subsequently processed into amines by N-substituted formamide deformylase and ultimately oxidized to beta-ketoesters by amine oxidases. The biological significance of this pathway is underscored by the upregulation of these genes under metal-depleted and biofilm-forming conditions. Mutant Mtb strains lacking these genes exhibit impaired growth in metal-limiting environments and reduced levels of biofilm formation. Catalytic intermediates detected in Mtb cultures and infected mouse lung tissues confirm the pathway{\textquoteright}s in vivo activity. Further, genome mining reveals that similar enzymes are conserved across organisms producing isonitrile-containing metabolites, emphasizing the broader importance of this pathway. Understanding these processes could pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies targeting kupyaphore catabolism.</p>
},
	issn = {1554-8929},
	doi = {10.1021/acschembio.5c00078},
	author = {Bhosale, Rashmi S. and Chakraborty, Arnab and Wong, Tsung-Yun and Masal, Dattatraya P. and Choudhury, Rahul and Srivastava, Sonali and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Aldrich, Courtney C. and Kamat, Siddhesh S. and Mohanty, Debasisa and Gokhale, Rajesh S.}
}
