Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) has become an appealing alternative strategy to treat infections without developing resistance to microbes. In PDI treatment, near-infrared (NIR) light is preferred because it causes less damage to normal tissues and leads to better penetration in deep tissues. Here, we develop an NIR-responsive nanomedicine for efficient broad-spectrum antimicrobial photodynamic treatment. By harnessing the biosynthetic capability of a bacterial cellulose-producing microorganism, we construct a nanocomposite biomaterial to deliver and recycle the nanomedicine. Our simple one-step biosynthetic approach does not impede the antimicrobial potency of the nanomedicine under NIR activation and requires no chemical modification. The resulting nanocomposite has been tested in antimicrobial treatment of different microorganisms, exhibiting a great potential to eliminate pathogens in biofilms and to treat in vivo infections.
Keywords: antimicrobial; bacterial cellulose; biosynthesis; photodynamic; upconversion nanoparticles.