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RALEIGH – Researchers at North Carolina State University have successfully incorporated "photosensitizers" into a range of polymers, giving these materials the ability to render bacteria and viruses inactive using only ambient oxygen and light at the same time. visible wavelength. The new approach opens the door to a range of new products aimed at reducing the transmission of drug-resistant pathogens.
"The transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, including" superbugs, "represents a significant threat to public health, with millions of medical cases occurring every year in the United States alone," states Reza Ghiladi, associate professor of chemistry at NC. State and author corresponding to an article on work. "Many of these infections are caused by surface-borne pathogens.
Reza Ghiladi
"Our goal with this work was to develop self-sterilizing, non-toxic and sufficiently resistant materials for practical use. And we succeeded. "
"Many work has been done to develop photosensitizer molecules that utilize the energy of visible light to convert oxygen from air into oxygen" singlet "biocide, which effectively breaks down viruses and viruses. bacteria, "says Richard Spontak, Distinguished Chemistry Professor. and in biomolecular engineering, professor of materials science and engineering in the state of North Carolina and co-author of the article. "There is no resistance to this mode of action.
"However, much of the earlier work in this area has been done with substrates – such as cellulose – that are not practical for everyday use in places such as hospitals. Our work here goes well beyond that. "
The new approach is to incorporate photosensitizers into hydrophobic, semi-crystalline elastomers that are impermeable and mechanically resilient, while allowing oxygen to access photosensitizers. In addition, the distribution of photosensitizers in the material means that it will retain its antimicrobial properties even if the surface of the material is scratched or worn.
"This paper focuses on a class of polymers, but it's a basic proof of concept that demonstrates the ability to place these photosensitizers in a range of robust" soft "materials without sacrificing functionality," says Spontak. "It's the tip of the iceberg."
In laboratory tests, researchers found that a polymer included in a photosensitizer inactivated at least 99.89% of the five bacterial strains – and 99.95% of the two viruses – when it was exposed to the light for 60 minutes.
"We have also demonstrated that we can make these materials using a relatively simple process of commercially available photosensitizers and polymers," says Ghiladi. "This makes bulk manufacturing both viable and less expensive than previous approaches to creating photosensitizing materials.
Richard Spontak
"We are currently looking for partners to work with us on research using these materials to treat nationally important pathogens, such as Clostridium difficile, categorized as an" urgent "risk level by the CDC, and coal.
"And while we want to use applications in high-tech environments, such as hospitals, we believe there is tremendous potential for improving health in poor regions," says Spontak. "If we could develop self-sterilizing items that help limit the spread of disease in areas with limited medical resources, we could save a lot of lives."
The paper, "Photodynamic Polymers as Complete Anti-Infective Materials: Staying at the Forefront of a Growing Global Threat", is published in the journal Applied materials and interfaces ACS. The first author of the article is Bharadwaja Peddinti, Ph.D. student at NC State. The paper was co-authored by Frank Scholle, associate professor of biological sciences at NC State.
The work was completed with the assistance of the NC State Nonwovens Institute and the NC State-funded analytical instrumentation system, funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Science Foundation (grant number ECCS-1542015).
[Note: A graphic describing how the filtering process takes place appears with the abstract of the post.]
(C) NCSU
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