Activity of Biodegradable Polymeric Nanosponges against Dual-Species Bacterial Biofilms

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria present an emerging global health crisis, and the threat is intensified by the involvement of biofilms. Some biofilm infections involve more than one species; this can further challenge treatment using traditional antibiotics. Nanomaterials are being developed as alternative therapeutics to traditional antibiotics; here we report biodegradable polymer-stabilized oil-in-water nanosponges (BNS) and show their activity against dual-species bacterial biofilms. The described engineered nanosponges demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity through prevention of dualspecies biofilm formation as well as eradication of preformed biofilms. The BNS showed no toxicity against mammalian cells. Together, these data highlight the therapeutic potential of this platform.