bims-livmat Biomed News
on Living materials
Issue of 2026–01–04
two papers selected by
Sara Trujillo Muñoz, Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien
  1. Survivability of microorganisms on synthetic and semi-synthetic textile materials used in the production of special purpose clothing in various humidity and temperature conditions.
  2. Mechanical and Self-Healing Performance of Cement Composites Containing Bacteria Extracted from Waste Concrete.
  1. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2025 Dec 22. pii: 215225. [Epub ahead of print]32(4): 443-452
    Survivability of microorganisms on synthetic and semi-synthetic textile materials used in the production of special purpose clothing in various humidity and temperature conditions.
    Rafał L Górny, Małgorzata Gołofit-Szymczak, Marcin Cyprowski, Anna Ławniczek-Wałczyk, Agata Stobnicka, Dorota Sawicka, Sylwia Krzemińska, Agnieszka Greszta, Anna Dąbrowska.
       INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The appropriate selection of the type, composition and finish of textile materials under specific conditions of temperature and humidity influences the possibility of their microbial colonization. The aim of the study is to test the survivability of microorganisms on textile materials in different microclimate conditions.
    MATERIAL AND METHODS: To test the survivability of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptomyces albus), virus (bacteriophage PhiX174), and fungi (Cladosporium cladosporioides, Aspergillus versicolor, and Penicillium melinii), five man-made (viscose) and synthetic (polyester, polypropylene, polyacrylonitrile, polyamide) fabrics made of homogeneous fibres (100% the same fibres), as well as five fabrics made of mixed fibres (i.e. polyester with addition of viscose, carbon, aramid, and anti-static fibres) kept in low (60%) humidity and at room (~24 °C) and elevated (~40 °C) temperature of the air were used.
    RESULTS: The study showed different microbial survivability patterns. In the case of bacteria and bacteriophage, fibre admixtures added to synthetic materials usually reduced their survivability. In the case of fungi, synthetic, mainly polyester, as well as doped polyacrylonitrile and polyamide materials, supported the survivability of their conidia.
    CONCLUSIONS: Under specific microclimatic conditions, the textile material can be selected in a way that limits the survivability of harmful microorganisms, which may be deposited on it. And vice versa, by changing the microclimatic conditions when wearing clothes made of a specific fabric, one can ensure that the presence of microorganisms will be eliminated or at least their survivability will be significantly reduced.
    Keywords:  air humidity and temperature; antimicrobial action; fibre admixtures; microorganisms; survivability; textile materials
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/215225
  2. Materials (Basel). 2025 Dec 05. pii: 5483. [Epub ahead of print]18(24):
    Mechanical and Self-Healing Performance of Cement Composites Containing Bacteria Extracted from Waste Concrete.
    Se-Jin Choi, Jeong-Yeon Park, Jung-Mi Kim, Ha-Yeon Song, Jae-In Lee.
      Cracks can reduce the durability of concrete structures. To mitigate the damage caused, self-healing technologies using bacteria and cement-based materials can be utilized. For self-healing, bacteria contained within the matrix are advantageous because they can heal cracks upon introducing oxygen and water under favorable conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that Lysinibacillus fusiformis isolated from waste concrete induces calcite precipitation in a cement-based material. Replacing 5-20% of the mixing water with the bacterial solution increased mortar flow, and the initial compressive strength increased with the bacterial content. After long-term aging, the compressive strength of the sample with 20% bacterial solution was ~45.6 MPa, the highest among all samples. In terms of durability, the bacterial solution reduced the carbonation depth compared with that of a control sample without added bacteria, and the 20% sample showed 53% higher carbonation resistance than the control. In terms of the self-healing performance, the bacteria-loaded samples showed higher compressive strength recovery rates than the control sample, with the 20% sample showing the highest rate of approximately 131%. Therefore, L. fusiformis derived from waste concrete is a promising candidate bacterium for enhancing the durability and self-healing efficiency of cement composites.
    Keywords:  Lysinibacillus fusiformis; compressive strength; mortar; self-healing; waste concrete
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18245483
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