McMaster University researchers created a self-cleaning surface that even repels viruses and bacteria. They developed the material with the food industry and medical settings in mind. Testing showed that the surface resists even the deadliest superbugs. It’s the ultimate non-stick coating!
The self-cleaning surface would ideally be used in public settings, especially in hospitals and kitchens, where it could prevent the transfer of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and other dangerous bacteria.
It is effortless to use. The coating is essentially a treated form of conventional transparent plastic wrap. It can be shrink-wrapped onto railings, door handles, IV stands and any other surfaces seen as magnets for dangerous bacteria like C. difficile and MRSA.
It can also be used like plastic wrap for food packaging. Accidental transfer of bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and listeria from raw meat, chicken, and other foods would be avoided by using this newly treated material. The research, led by engineers Tohid Didar and Leyla Soleymani, has been published in the journal ACS Nano.
The new wrap repels anything that comes into contact with it, not just bacteria and viruses. It was inspired by the water-repellent lotus leaf. The surface repelling feature works through a combination of chemistry and nanoscale surface engineering. It’s textured with microscopic wrinkles that expel all external molecules. If a drop of water or blood falls on the surface, it would just bounce away upon contact, and the same goes for bacteria. To further strengthen this repelling quality the surface is also chemically treated.
Soleymani, an engineering physicist, said:
We’re structurally tuning that plastic. This material gives us something that can be applied to all kinds of things.
What they managed to create was a flexible barrier that is inexpensive to produce and very durable.
Didar said:
We can see this technology being used in all kinds of institutional and domestic settings. As the world confronts the crisis of anti-microbial resistance, we hope it will become an important part of the anti-bacterial toolbox.
To see if their creation worked, the researchers tested the material using two of the most concerning forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria: Pseudomonas and MRSA. These experiments were conducted in collaboration with Eric Brown of McMaster’s Institute for Infectious Disease Research.
Engineer Kathryn Grandfield captured electron microscope images of the surface to record the confirmation of the effectiveness of the material. The photos show that virtually no bacteria could transfer to the surface. Next, the researchers plan to move forward with the project and develop commercial applications for the wrap.
