Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance
Abstract Antibiotic contamination has emerged as a global challenge, increasing antibiotic resistance and threatening human health and ecosystems. Bioremediation using microorganism offers sustainable methods to degrade such pharmaceutical contaminants. However, these microorganisms exhibit reduced...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58415-z |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850258803679821824 |
|---|---|
| author | Minwen Jiang Jie Zheng Yi Tang Hai Liu Yawen Yao Jianfei Zhou Wei Lin Yuan Ma Jin Liu Jiajing Zhou |
| author_facet | Minwen Jiang Jie Zheng Yi Tang Hai Liu Yawen Yao Jianfei Zhou Wei Lin Yuan Ma Jin Liu Jiajing Zhou |
| author_sort | Minwen Jiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Antibiotic contamination has emerged as a global challenge, increasing antibiotic resistance and threatening human health and ecosystems. Bioremediation using microorganism offers sustainable methods to degrade such pharmaceutical contaminants. However, these microorganisms exhibit reduced activity under high-stress conditions, and are difficult to recycle and potentially leak into environment as microbial pollutions. Here we report bioprinted retrievable microalgae hydrogel networks (MHNs) by confining living microalgae in double-network hydrogels, which achieves enhanced antibiotic degradation (>99.3%) and recyclable ability. Particularly, coating MHN with tannic acid (MHN@TA) generates a semipermeable membrane to prevent the leakage of microalgae (<0.7% for 7 days), ensuring the containment of potential microbial biohazards. The biohybrid system protects the biological activity of microalgae, enabling antibiotic degradation up to 400 mg L−1. Free-standing MHN@TA fencing systems are also manufactured to demonstrate their practical applications. This study provides insights of microalgae-material interactions in bioremediation and offers design rationales for biohybrid systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-feaf5bf4478b4d9394bc0d687acd5436 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-feaf5bf4478b4d9394bc0d687acd54362025-08-20T01:56:01ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-04-0116111010.1038/s41467-025-58415-zRetrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress toleranceMinwen Jiang0Jie Zheng1Yi Tang2Hai Liu3Yawen Yao4Jianfei Zhou5Wei Lin6Yuan Ma7Jin Liu8Jiajing Zhou9College of Biomass Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan UniversityEngineering Research Center of Watershed Carbon Neutrality of Ministry of Education, Center for Algae Innovation & Engineering Research, School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityCollege of Biomass Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Biomass Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Biomass Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan UniversityCollege of Biomass Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityEngineering Research Center of Watershed Carbon Neutrality of Ministry of Education, Center for Algae Innovation & Engineering Research, School of Resources and Environment, Nanchang UniversityCollege of Biomass Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Leather Chemistry and Engineering of Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Clean Technology of Leather Manufacture, Sichuan UniversityAbstract Antibiotic contamination has emerged as a global challenge, increasing antibiotic resistance and threatening human health and ecosystems. Bioremediation using microorganism offers sustainable methods to degrade such pharmaceutical contaminants. However, these microorganisms exhibit reduced activity under high-stress conditions, and are difficult to recycle and potentially leak into environment as microbial pollutions. Here we report bioprinted retrievable microalgae hydrogel networks (MHNs) by confining living microalgae in double-network hydrogels, which achieves enhanced antibiotic degradation (>99.3%) and recyclable ability. Particularly, coating MHN with tannic acid (MHN@TA) generates a semipermeable membrane to prevent the leakage of microalgae (<0.7% for 7 days), ensuring the containment of potential microbial biohazards. The biohybrid system protects the biological activity of microalgae, enabling antibiotic degradation up to 400 mg L−1. Free-standing MHN@TA fencing systems are also manufactured to demonstrate their practical applications. This study provides insights of microalgae-material interactions in bioremediation and offers design rationales for biohybrid systems.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58415-z |
| spellingShingle | Minwen Jiang Jie Zheng Yi Tang Hai Liu Yawen Yao Jianfei Zhou Wei Lin Yuan Ma Jin Liu Jiajing Zhou Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance Nature Communications |
| title | Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance |
| title_full | Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance |
| title_fullStr | Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance |
| title_short | Retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance |
| title_sort | retrievable hydrogel networks with confined microalgae for efficient antibiotic degradation and enhanced stress tolerance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58415-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT minwenjiang retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT jiezheng retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT yitang retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT hailiu retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT yawenyao retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT jianfeizhou retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT weilin retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT yuanma retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT jinliu retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance AT jiajingzhou retrievablehydrogelnetworkswithconfinedmicroalgaeforefficientantibioticdegradationandenhancedstresstolerance |