Honors Theses

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Completion

Spring 4-30-2026

Academic Year

2025-2026

Department

Chemistry

Academic Major

Biochemistry

Faculty Advisor

Dennis Matlock, Ph.D.

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a growing threat to public health. Due to the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, the overprescription of antibiotics, and the misuse of antibiotics by patients, antibiotic resistance is spreading at an alarming rate. As antibiotic resistance spreads, the antibiotics we depend on to treat common infections become ineffective. Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel treatments for infections that do not increase the prevalence of antibiotic resistance. One treatment being explored is the use of synthetic polymers with antibacterial properties. Synthetic polymers are advantageous because they can be synthesized from widely available precursors and their structure is customizable based on the precursors and synthesis mechanisms used. Through electrospinning, polymers can be used to create nanofibers, which are advantageous as wound dressings to promote healing of infected wounds and protect them from the environment. This study shows the successful synthesis of a main-chain cationic polymer that has previously shown promising antibacterial activity. This study shows the successful creation of nanofibers from the polymer using electrospinning and tests the antibacterial activity of the nanofibers on organisms that have the highest risk of developing antibiotic resistance. While this delivery method did not show large effects on bacterial growth, the polymer did exhibit promising effects on several organisms. Further studies should investigate the use of a greater amount of nanofibers or a greater amount of polymer embedded within the nanofibers to improve antibacterial activity. Additionally, further studies should investigate alternative methods for quantifying bacterial growth that would take into account the ability of some organisms to produce pigments during the growth process.

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