Anti-microbial materials have multiple applications in medicine, industry and commercial products. Recent research has proposed the use of nanoparticles in a range of materials, as some metal nanoparticles are known to possess antibacterial properties. The development of such materials presents both the chemist and the biologist with the challenge to effectively choose analytical methods that provide relevant information regarding these materials. Herein, we describe techniques for the characterization of the nanoparticle-doped materials and methods for the determination of their efficacy against biofilm formation.

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Traditionally, water quality has been monitored by sampling and lab based analysis. However, there are disadvantages associated with this method, for example, deterioration of samples with time, limited sampling points, limited temporal monitoring. This has provided impetus for the development of sensors which can be deployed from remote locations over extended deployment periods. However, a major limitation of these systems is their vulnerability to biofouling. This review outlines the research that has been carried out on strategies for the protection of marine and riverine sensors against fouling.

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In this paper we demonstrate the use of picosecond time-resolved infrared spectroscopy (ps-TRIR) to monitor the early structural dynamics of DNA bases and polydeoxynucleotides following UV excitation in solution.