Akay, SerefCiofu, OanaGow, Jonathan MichaelPosselt, DortheMarmiroli, BenedettaSartori, BarbaraYaghmur, Anan2026-01-242026-01-2420260021-97971095-7103https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2025.139493https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12868/5722There is a growing interest in innovative strategies for effectively preventing implant-associated bacterial infections. Here, we report on a simple-by-design approach for production of antibacterial coatings from docosahexaenoic acid monoacylglycerol (MAG-DHA) and glycerol monooleate (GMO). In addition to its amphiphilic nature, MAG-DHA is a safe precursor of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and has different beneficial health effects, including antibacterial activities. Using binary combinations of MAG-DHA and GMO, we describe the structural features and the antibacterial activities of antibiotic-free non-lamellar liquid crystalline (LLC) coatings. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) were employed to gain insight into the structural features of the fully hydrated coatings and the hydration-induced dynamic self-assembly of MAG-DHA and GMO on model implants. In a lipid composition-dependent manner, SAXS results revealed hydration-induced formation of different inverse LLC self-assemblies, including hexagonal (H2) and bicontinuous cubic (Q2) phases. Further, GISAXS analysis showed that lipid composition and employed relative humidity level play important roles in controlling the out-of-equilibrium self-assembly properties. Moreover, the coatings containing MAG-DHA displayed unique inherent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. This study describes the first antibiotic-free coatings with nanostructural architectures and inherent antibacterial activities for orthopedic implants.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessAntibacterial coatingsBiofilmsDocosahexaenoic acid monoglycerideGISAXSInverse bicontinuous cubic phaseInverse hexagonal phaseOrthopedic implantsArticle10.1016/j.jcis.2025.139493705412741592-s2.0-105022110445Q1WOS:001628221700007Q1