Speakers - 2024

Biography

Aghapy Yermans Yakoup is a graduate, batch 2023, with a biomedical sciences major (BMS) (medical sciences concentration) from Zewail City for Science, Technology, and Innovation. In addition, I have worked as a junior researcher assistant (jRA) in the Center for Microbiology and Phage Therapy (CMP) in Zewail City for Science, Technology, and Innovation from Fall 2021 until Summer 2023. I am interested in finding new solutions to eliminate multi-drug-resistant bacteria and inventing new compounds that can be antibiotic alternatives. Also, I am interested in the medical microbiology field. In the future, I plan to enroll in a Ph.D. program that aims to find new applicable solutions for infectious diseases in different body systems like the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Abstract

Public health and environmental security are seriously at risk due to the growing contamination of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, effective antimicrobials are urgently needed. In our study, the antimicrobial effects of three types of nanoparticles were investigated with phage. The biosynthesis of nanoparticles was confirmed based on the color change and shapes, which tended to be mono-dispersed with a spherical shape with a size range of 20–35 nm for Ag-CS-NPs; 15–30 nm for Phage-CS-NPs (Ph-CS-NPs); and 5– 35 nm for Propolis-CS-NPs (Pro-CS-NPs). Nanoparticles displayed peaks between 380- 420 nm, 335–380 nm, and below 335 nm for Ag-CS-NPs, Pro-CS-NPs, and Ph-CS NPs. Ag-Cs-NPs represented a higher antibacterial effect in combination with phages throughout the three synthesized nanoparticles. It showed MIC against S. sciuri, S. Typhimurium, and P. aeruginosa between 31.2 and 62.2 μg/mL and MBC at 500, 62.5, and 31.2 μg/mL, respectively, while in combination with phages showed MIC at 62.2, 31.2, and 15.6 μg/mL, respectively and MBC at 125, 62.2, and 15.6 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, a significant killing efficiency was observed with 16.5–30.1 μg/mL of Ag-CS NPs combined with phages. In conclusion, Ag-CS-NPs with phages present potential bactericidal and inhibitory effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as against the production of biofilms.