New Antimicrobial Devices to Prevent Waterborne Diseases

The consumption of bottled water has been increasing consistently over the last decade, even in countries where tap water quality is considered excellent. It has been known that there is an extremely high level of bacteria content and rapid microbial growth in reusable drinking water bottles, which have become more used by children and adults daily everywhere. Therefore, it is necessary to have some control strategies to reduce the bacteria level and minimize the associated health risk of the disease spreading. In this context, the development of functionalized polymer surfaces using bioactive compounds has grown rapidly over the past decade within many industries including biomedical, food packaging and beverage sectors. In this study a simple yet effective strategy to immobilize the de novo designed Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) RiLK1 on PLA-surface's straw was developed. The RiLK1-immobilized PLA tubular surfaces displayed potent bactericidal properties against three of the most relevant waterborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes, demonstrating that RiLK1 retained its antimicrobial functionality also upon immobilization. To the best of our ?????????????? knowledge,?? ??? ????? ???????????????this is ????? ????the first proof-of-concept ????????????study that demonstrates the antibacterial effectiveness of a real tubular device functionalized with an AMP that could reduce or eliminate potential risks associated with water-related contamination.