Cold argon plasma (CAP) and metal oxide nanoparticles are well known antimicrobial agents. In the current study, on an example of Escherichia coli, a series of analyses was performed to assess the antibacterial action of the combination of these agents and to evaluate the possibility of using cerium oxide and cerium fluoride nanoparticles for a combined treatment of bacterial diseases. The joint effect of the combination of cold argon plasma and several metal oxide and fluoride nanoparticles (CeO₂, CeF₃, WO₃) was investigated on a model of E. coli colony growth on agar plates. The mutagenic effect of different CAP and nanoparticle combinations on bacterial DNA was investigated, by means of a blue–white colony assay and RAPD-PCR. The effect on cell wall damage, using atomic force microscopy, was also studied. The results obtained demonstrate that the combination of CAP and redox-active metal oxide nanoparticles (RAMON) effectively inhibits bacterial growth, providing a synergistic antimicrobial effect exceeding that of any of the agents alone. The combination of CAP and CeF₃ was shown to be the most effective mutagen against plasmid DNA, and the combination of CAP and WO₃ was the most effective against bacterial genomic DNA. The analysis of direct cell wall damage by atomic force microscopy showed the combination of CAP and CeF₃ to be the most effective antimicrobial agent. The combination of CAP and redox-active metal oxide or metal fluoride nanoparticles has a strong synergistic antimicrobial effect on bacterial growth, resulting in plasmid and genomic DNA damage and cell wall damage. For the first time, a strong antimicrobial and DNA-damaging effect of CeF₃ nanoparticles has been demonstrated.

The possibility of detection and determination of flavonoids by using microbial cells was shown for the first time using the quercetin - Azospirillum baldaniorum Sp245 model system. The activity of the flavonoids quercetin, rutin and naringenin toward A. baldaniorum Sp245 was evaluated. It was found that when the quercetin concentration ranged from 50 to 100 µM, the number of bacterial cells decreased. Rutin and naringenin did not affect bacterial numbers. Quercetin at 100 μM increased bacterial impedance by 60 %. Under the effect of quercetin, the magnitude of the electro-optical signal from cells decreased by 75 %, as compared with the no-quercetin control. Our data show the possibility of developing sensor-based systems for the detection and determination of flavonoids.

Developing molecular methods for assessing the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation remains a pressing task. Our pilot study aimed to assess the utility of the transcriptome analysis of muscle biopsies in evaluating the efficacy of the isometric exercises (IEs) added to the standard protocol in the early rehabilitation of older patients during the initial two weeks post total hip arthroplasty (THA). Blood concentrations of total leukocytes, neutrophils, IL6, IL8, IL1β, myoglobin, etc. were measured, and transcriptome analysis of rectus femoris biopsies from the operated leg was performed before and after (1 and 12 days) THA in women aged 73–77 years. The additional IEs in the experimental rehabilitation group led to a significant acceleration in the recovery of IL6, IL8, and IL1β blood levels to the normal ranges compared to the control group, as confirmed by a Fisher’s exact test for this cytokine combination. The results of Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Differentially Expressed Gene Analyses for the muscle biopsies point to accelerated resolution of inflammation, along with enhanced activation of genes associated with angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, vasodilation, and vasoconstriction in the experimental rehabilitation group compared to the control group. Thus, IL6, IL8, and IL1β blood levels can serve in combination as molecular indicators of the efficacy of early rehabilitation after THA, and transcriptome analysis of the rectus femoris biopsies of the operated leg allows for the revelation of the molecular indicators of regenerative processes in muscle tissue near the surgery area after THA.

The use of modern sequencing methods enables us to determine the taxonomic biodiversity of various bacterial communities. Specifically, it allows to assess the diversity of bacterial strains that are not cultured. At present, there are two generations of sequencing technologies that enable the determination of microbial community diversity: 2nd generation (represented by Illumina and BGI) and 3rd generation (Nanopore and PacBio). However, as these technologies use different approaches to sequencing, there is a question of reproducibility of the results. This research revealed that using Illumina and Nanopore sequencing methods differs in terms of diversity indices and taxonomic diversity. This data emphasizes the requirement to develop advanced methods for sample preparation and DNA sequencing to achieve an unequivocal microbial community profile.