The research, published in ACS Omega, involved the group of Isidre Gibert from the Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina (IBB), who are experts in microbiology; the group of Jordi Hernando from the Department of Chemistry, specialists in organic chemistry and photophysics, both at the UAB; and the group led by Rosario Núñez at ICMAB‑CSIC, experts in boron cluster chemistry. The project received funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the European Union through a Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Javier Ordoñez.
The article explains how the UAB–ICMAB researchers team developed three novel molecules (BDP-FES, BDP-COS, and BDP-B12) that merge the structural diversity of BODIPY dyes with the stability and amphiphilicity of boron clusters. When illuminated with green light, these compounds exhibit strong bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecium, responsible for many hard-to-treat infections in hospitals around the world. Strikingly, the BDP-B12 compound completely eradicated S. aureus at very low concentrations, all while remaining non-toxic under dark conditions.
This work bridges boron cluster chemistry and antimicrobial phototherapy, and opens the door to new strategies for controlling resistant infections through light‑activated molecules that are safe, targeted, and environmentally friendly.
Read the article in UAB Divulga in English, Catalan and Spanish.
Reference article
Anionic Boron-Cluster BODIPY Conjugates As Promising Photosensitizers for Targeted Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy
Javier Ordóñez-Hernández, Andromeda-Celeste Gómez, Jordi Hernando, Marina Quevedo, Juan Camilo Ortíz, Daniel Yero, Isidre Gibert, and Rosario Núñez
ACS Omega, 2025, 10, 44693−44705
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c07634
