OSTRAVA, Czech Republic, Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Scientists from Palacký University Olomouc (UP) and the Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO), in collaboration with colleagues from China, have discovered a groundbreaking method for developing a new generation of antibiotics. These antibiotics not only combat a wide range of bacteria but also effectively prevent the development of bacterial resistance. By employing atomic engineering, the researchers transformed manganese—a trace element vital for human health—into a potent antibiotic by embedding it in the structure of chemically modified graphene. Tests conducted on animal models have demonstrated the material’s significant potential, particularly in localized therapies such as wound healing. The discovery has been published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials, and the team has filed a European patent to safeguard their innovation.

“The material we developed successfully kills and inhibits the growth of all bacteria we studied, including highly resistant pathogens. It operates at low concentrations, which are completely harmless to human cells. Furthermore, bacteria cannot develop resistance to it, thus addressing one of modern medicine’s most pressing challenges. These promising results position atomic antibiotics for practical use in the near future,” said Radek Zbořil, a physical chemist and author of the research concept, who works at the Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (CATRIN UP) and the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET) at VSB-TUO.

A Frontal Attack with Manganese

In developing this antibiotic, the scientists drew on their expertise in graphene chemistry and atomic engineering, fields they have extensively studied in recent years. This time, they utilized a graphene derivative enriched with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, chemically incorporating manganese—a transition metal that is involved in metabolism, bone formation, blood sugar regulation and cellular protection against oxidative stress.

“We chose to target one of the strongest defences of bacteria—the carbohydrates in their cell walls and membranes, which are crucial for their survival. These carbohydrates play a protective role, facilitate substance transfer, enable communication with the environment, and serve as energy reserves. By chemically binding manganese to specific carbohydrate groups, we suppressed these critical functions, ultimately causing cell death. The graphene carrier plays an essential role by ensuring the delivery of manganese ions to the bacterial surface, which enables a direct chemical attack on the carbohydrate molecules,” Zbořil explained.

Effective Against Even the Most Resistant Bacteria

The new material also shows remarkable efficacy against bacteria that existing antibiotics struggle to combat. “We observed an excellent bactericidal effect against all bacteria from the ESCAPE group, which includes highly resistant bacterial pathogens. These bacteria are particularly dangerous because they are resistant to conventional antibiotics, which complicates treatment and increases the risk of severe infections, especially in hospital settings. The atomic antibiotic was the only agent that proved effective against all resistant bacteria, compared to commercial antibiotics,” said David Panáček, the first author of the paper, from CATRIN UP and CEET VSB-TUO.

The researchers tested the atomic antibiotic’s effect not only in laboratory settings but also in mouse models in collaboration with their Chinese colleagues. “In in-vivo tests, skin infections caused by resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (golden staph) healed quickly and effectively, with all markers of inflammation significantly reduced. We are now considering its use for wound dressings or antibacterial treatments on surfaces of artificial materials. There is tremendous potential to prevent bacterial biofilms from forming on devices such as artificial joint replacements, stents, or cannulas. Given its mode of action, this new material could also help prevent secondary infections, which would have a major impact on healthcare,” said Milan Kolář, a microbiologist and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Palacký University Olomouc, who played a key role in the research.

Atomic Antibiotics Open New Possibilities

The research team plans to continue exploring the material’s potential for systemic antibiotic treatments. “Some serious infections are now untreatable with existing antibiotics, and bacterial sepsis is becoming an increasingly common cause of death. We aim to test atomic antibiotics’ effectiveness in treating the most severe bacterial diseases,” Kolář added.

According to the United Nations, if bacterial resistance continues to rise at its current pace, by 2050 untreatable infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria could become the leading cause of death worldwide. These so-called ‘superbugs’ pose a global threat, necessitating the development of new antibacterial agents that can bypass the defence mechanisms bacteria use to protect themselves. This research, which also involved colleagues from the Faculty of Science at Palacký University Olomouc and two Chinese institutions, highlights the untapped potential of atomic engineering in addressing one of humanity’s most urgent scientific and social challenges.

Read the paper at: Single Atom Engineered Antibiotics Overcome Bacterial Resistance – Panáček – Advanced Materials – Wiley Online Library

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/atomic-antibiotics-developed-by-czech-scientists-counter-bacterial-resistance-302266579.html

SHANGHAI, Oct. 3, 2024 /CNW/ — “The Great Art of Dunhuang,” a special exhibition (“the Exhibition”) of Dunhuang’s cultural artifacts, opened on September 20th at the China Art Museum (Shanghai Art Museum). The Exhibition, guided by Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, is part of the 35th Shanghai Tourism Festival and will be held for an extended period of three months through December 20th.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www2.multivu.com/shanghai_tourism/9295151-en-the-great-art-of-dunhuang-exhibition-opens-in-shanghai

Featuring rare artifacts from the Dunhuang Academy, the Exhibition combines these treasures with reproductions of classic caves, wall paintings, and colorful sculptures to bring an immersive “Dunhuang experience” to Shanghai.

“There are only four cultural systems in the world with a long history, vast territory, self-contained system, and far-reaching influence: China, India, Greece, and Islam, and there is no fifth; and there is only one place where these four cultural systems converge, which is the Dunhuang and Xinjiang regions of China,” said Ji Xianlin, a renowned scholar and historian.

The Exhibition showcases 168 pieces of representative and rare artifacts, six of which are being unveiled for the first time in Shanghai. In addition, replicas of six Mogao Caves and precious manuscripts are well worth a visit. The entrance of the Exhibition is specially designed to recreate the Gobi Desert experience with soundscape features like the ringing camel bell, instantly transporting visitors to Dunhuang. This immersive experience is unfolded in four chapters:

Chapter 1 “The Silk Road – Dunhuang” traces the journey of Zhang Qian, whose expedition was considered to be the foundation of the first “Silk Road.” As merchants from different countries expanded their exchanges, diverse cultures also converged in Dunhuang as it became more culturally prominent.Chapter 2 “The Cave – Pure Land” serves as the Exhibition’s centerpiece, featuring life-size replicas of six classic caves: Cave No. 285 from the Western Wei Dynasty, Caves No. 45, 320, 158, and 17 from the Tang Dynasty, and Cave No. 3 from the Yuan Dynasty.Chapter 3 “The Encounter – Library Cave” showcases the encyclopedia of the Middle Ages, the discovery of No.17 Cave, and how the artifacts are brought back digitally.Chapter 4 “Faith – Inheritance” centers on the generations of people who dedicated their lives to preserving the Mogao Caves.

Bai Jian, a counselor from the Gansu Province Cultural Relics Bureau, highlighted: “Dunhuang was the transportation hub between the West and East in ancient times, and it has been a witness of numerous cultural exchange and convergence efforts; Shanghai, on the other hand, is an international metropolitan and window for the world to see China, it’s a city that’s full of energy and charm where history, culture, economy and technology integrates, and the Shanghai Tourism Festival is a perfect opportunity to present the Dunhuang, a global IP, and facilitate in-depth exchanges and development.”

For the exhibition, there are also several newly released cultural tourism products worth recommending. Overseas visitors who book designated hotels through Expedia can receive complimentary tickets to the exhibition. Additionally, with the Shanghai Pass – Dunhuang Dream card, introduced by Shanghai Jiushi Group, visitors can make payments at various venues, supermarkets, convenience stores, and more throughout Shanghai.

To learn more about fun activities in Shanghai, please click here:

https://www.meet-in-shanghai.net/

https://www.facebook.com/MeetinShanghai

https://www.instagram.com/meetinshanghai/

https://twitter.com/meetinshanghai

https://www.youtube.com/@meetinshanghai

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-cultural-gateway-to-chinas-rich-heritage-the-great-art-of-dunhuang-exhibition-opens-in-shanghai-302266581.html

SOURCE Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Sonovate, the leading provider of embedded finance and payment solutions for the contingent workforce, today announced that it is implementing Alloy‘s identity risk solution to better prevent fraud while also fueling growth.

Alloy helps solve the identity risk problem for companies that offer financial products by enabling them to outpace fraud and confidently serve more people around the world. Over 600 banks and fintechs in the US, UK, and beyond turn to Alloy to grow with a clearer picture of their customers. Sonovate will use Alloy’s end-to-end identity risk management platform to stay ahead of rising fraud trends in the UK.

A report from UK Finance found that £1.17 billion was lost to financial criminals in 2023. New technologies like generative AI have given bad actors more sophisticated tools to attack financial institutions. With Alloy, Sonovate is poised to stay ahead of this fraud risk while ensuring that genuine customers can efficiently access the company’s products and services.

“With its network of data sources, Alloy gives us the power to protect our business and customers from financial crime and the flexibility to make adjustments as needed as our business scales,” said Tom Wilson, Global Head of Risk and Compliance at Sonovate. “We are excited for this next step in our global growth.”

Since it was founded in 2014, Sonovate has funded nearly £6 billion ($8 billion) of invoices, supporting 3,300 businesses and 50,000 workers in 44 countries. In pursuit of the company’s global growth, Sonovate recently opened its first overseas office in Amsterdam and announced significant enhancements to its funding technology platform to better serve large, multinational recruitment businesses. Sonovate joins a growing list of UK-based banks and fintechs that use Alloy to solve for identity risk, including Liberis and Flagstone.

“We’re excited to support Sonovate in their mission to empower recruitment and consultancy businesses with tailored financial solutions,” said James Baston-Pitt, Head of UK and EMEA at Alloy. “Risk management has always been a core part of Sonovate’s business, and with Alloy, the company will continue to evolve to address growing fraud threats.”

About Sonovate
Sonovate is the leading provider of embedded finance and payment solutions for the workforce. Its finance and technology services cater to recruitment businesses, consultancies, and labour marketplaces who place contractors and freelancers around the world. Sonovate’s platform and expert service deliver swift credit decisions, same-day funding, credit insurance and collection services as well as timesheet and workflow automation, empowering companies to concentrate on expanding their business, confident that processes and funds are in place to help meet payment deadlines. Since it was founded in 2014, Sonovate has funded nearly £6 billion ($8 billion) of invoices, supporting 3,300 businesses and 50,000 workers in 44 countries.

About Alloy
Alloy helps solve the identity risk problem for companies that offer financial products. Over 600 banks, credit unions, and fintechs turn to Alloy’s end-to-end identity risk management platform to take control of fraud, credit, and compliance risks, and grow with confidence. Founded in 2015, Alloy is powering the delivery of great financial products to more customers around the world. Learn more at alloy.com.

Media Contacts:
Nick Harriman, Sonovate
nharriman@sonovate.com 

Kylee Sibilia, Alloy
kylee@alloy.com

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2521849/sonovate_alloy_announcement_Logo.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2521850/sonovate_alloy_announcement_1.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sonovate-partners-with-alloy-to-combat-evolving-fraud-trends-as-company-grows-302265834.html