EXPLORING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES AND GAMMA RADIATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOSENSORS

Abstract

Growing technological developments and challenges in the nuclear field require innovative approaches that integrate knowledge from different areas. The present study proposes a research uniting nuclear science and biotechnology in the investigation of the potential of antimicrobial peptides (PAMs) derived from the bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa as materials sensitive to gamma ionizing radiation. The research was based on a comprehensive literature review and experimental evaluation of the activity of antimicrobial peptides (PAMs) derived from the bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa before and after exposure to gamma radiation. The selected PAMs were exposed to different doses of gamma radiation (0.5, 1.0, 4.0 and 10.0 Gy) using a Gamacell 220 irradiator with a Co-60 source. The antimicrobial activity of the peptides was evaluated by the agar diffusion test, using a variety of microorganisms of clinical and environmental relevance, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans. These microorganisms were selected based on their medical importance as infection-causing agents, and because they represent different classes of pathogens (Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria). The results obtained through the literature review and preliminary tests allowed to evaluate the potential of PAMs as detector elements in biosensors and as antimicrobial agents in environments contaminated by radiation, due to their ability to generate detectable variations in their physicochemical properties when exposed to gamma ionizing radiation, allowing the rapid and accurate detection of gamma radiation levels. This innovative approach aims to overcome the limitations of traditional detection methods, which can be slow, expensive, and complex. The research was based on a review of the literature that identified promising peptides with significant antimicrobial activity in Paenibacillus polymyxa and the resistance of these PAMs to ionizing radiation, evaluating their efficiency threshold after exposure. The ability of PAMs to present a threshold to radiation and maintain their antimicrobial activity makes them ideal candidates for the development of portable and fast-response biosensors, with affordable cost, easy reproducibility, high sensitivity and other characteristics that are expected from an efficient biosensor, which can be applied in several areas from monitoring, such as environmental,  civil protection, public security and national defense.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.001-038