Bacteriophage-like Nanobiocatalysts with Spiky Topography and Dual-Atom Sites for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria

Overuse of antibiotics leads to the proliferation of drug-resistant bacterial strains, worsening global morbidity, and mortality rates. Bioinspired nanomaterials present a promising avenue for developing nonantibiotic strategies against drug-resistant bacteria. Here, we engineer a bacteriophage-inspired artificial nanobiocatalyst via nonstoichiometric W₁₈O₄₉ that features a spiky topography and synergistic dual-atom sites for combating drug-resistant bacterial infection. Benefiting from the strong interaction within the synergistic Fe-O-Mo sites, the synthesized spiky artificial nanobiocatalyst exhibits superior reactive oxygen species (ROS)-catalytic activity, attributed to the regulated adsorption affinity between the reaction intermediates and catalytic sites. The experimental and theoretical investigations demonstrate that the bioinspired biocatalyst can effectively capture and kill bacteria through its spiky morphology and potent ROS-catalytic activity, which can enable a significant reduction in bacterial viability through downregulating genes associated with biosynthesis, cellular maintenance, and respiration. In vivo experiments demonstrate that the spiky artificial biocatalyst accelerates the reconstruction of drug-resistant bacteria-infected skin wounds in rabbits, exhibiting efficacy comparable to that of vancomycin. It is expected that this bioinspired study on spiky artificial nanobiocatalysts offers a straightforward path to facilitate the development of both bionic and nonantibiotic disinfection strategies.