DEVELOPMENT OF AN AFFINITY BIOMATERIAL FOR ENHANCED BLOOD PATHOGEN REDUCTION

DEVELOPMENT OF AFFINITY BIOMATERIAL FOR ENHANCED BLOOD PATHOGEN REDUCTIONFatema Hashemi, Ph.D. George Mason University, 2025 DISSERTATION Director: Dr. Alessandra Luchini Ensuring the safety of blood transfusions remains a critical priority in modern medicine, driven by the ongoing risk of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). This dissertation presents a novel pathogen reduction technology (PRT) based on nylon affinity networks functionalized with synthetic dyes to efficiently capture bacteria in plasma. Nylon filaments were functionalized with a range of dye classes—including acidic, basic, metallic, hydrophobic, and uncharged/polar dyes—to optimize bacterial binding properties. Among the dyes tested, Alcian blue, a phthalocyanine dye with a macrocyclic aromatic structure, demonstrated the highest bacterial capture efficiency against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis spiked in phosphate buffer saline and human plasma.Quantitative analyses using agar plate assays consistently showed bacterial removal efficiencies of 85–90% for both E. coli and S. epidermidis. The scalability of the approach was validated in a 50 mL system, where a three-step serial incubation protocol utilizing nylon affinity networks achieved complete bacterial depletion in PBS and human plasma. Importantly, post-incubation viability testing revealed that bacteria remained intact on the nylon surfaces without evidence of lysis, effectively mitigating the risk of toxin release into blood products. Alcian blue affinity networks showed minimal human plasma protein adsorption (0.08% of total plasma proteins), thereby validating the selective binding properties of the functionalized nylon. These findings support the robustness, reproducibility, and scalability of nylon affinity networks as a promising platform for blood transfusion safety. Beyond its immediate application in transfusion medicine, the study explores a conceptual framework where the affinity networks, in conjunction with proteomics studies and gene editing, could reveal mechanistic insights into bacterium-biomaterial interactions. A broader knowledge of bacterial attachment mechanisms and biofilm formation on medical devices such as catheters and implants could inform a molecular based design of biomedical devices

Author

• hashemi, Fatema

• Alcian blue
• Biomaterial
• Blood safety
• Nylon affinity network
• Pathogen reduction technology

Identifier

hdl:1920/15147

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:MARS:1920/15147