The Faculty of Graduate Studies awarded the researcher Khuloud Abu Rub a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences in response to her thesis entitled “Multi fictionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes for antibacterial activity”.

Infectious diseases are considered the greatest problem that people suffer and challenge worldwide. The wide use of antibiotic has led to increasing resistance to these drugs. Accordingly, many researchers are eager to develop new drug delivery systems that may result in decreasing the side effects and the effective dose of the drug. One of the occasional drug delivery systems in this field is based on carbon nanotubes technology. Furthermore, cationic compounds as hopeful candidates for the reduced potential for resistance development.

The aim of this work is to develop a new nano-antibacterial system based on the multi-functionalization of single-walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs) using covalent functionalization of SWCNTs-COOH with ciprofloxacin and multiamine linker combined noncovalently with Clarithromycin on the surface of the f-SWCNTs. The amine loading was determined by applying the Kaiser test. The characterization of the developed nano-drug by transmission electron microscopy appeared good dispersibility of the functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes and separation of the nanotubes, which indicated the successful functionalization.Moreover, the percentage of functionalization was determined by thermogravometric analysis obtaining 62% of functionalization in the case of f-SWCNTs (16). The antibacterial activity was determined by microdilution method through determining the MIC for four strains of bacteria, the result of the antibacterial activity indicated that the multi- functionalized SWCNTs have more significant increase of the antibacterial activity by 64 folds for three tested bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and 16 folds for (Enterococcus faecalis) in comparison with ciprofloxacin alone especially in the presence of tetramine linker of f-SWCNTs 16. Moreover, the f-SWCNTs (15 and 16) showed high hemocompat­ibility over a wide concentration range.

The committee consisted of: Dr. Mohyeddin Assali as a main supervisor and Chairman, Dr. Motasem Masri as a second supervisor, Dr. Hussein Hallaq as an external examiner and Dr. Murad Abu Hasan as an internal examiner.

At the end of the session, the committee approved the success of the researcher and recommended her a Master’s degree.