A team of researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology through a process of electrochemical etching created on the surface of the stainless steel alloy nano coating (texture of the tiny protruding spikes), kill bacteria, while not harming the mammalian cells. If the tests of the technology confirm its effectiveness, it is possible that such coverage in the future will be to protect medical devices and equipment for the food industry.
The resulting metamaterial, the scientists say requires further study and extensive testing under various conditions. But one thing is clear already: the tiny metal spikes are able to pierce bacterial membranes, thereby killing harmful bacteria. While people can quite happily touch the surface without causing your body any harm, because his cells are an order of magnitude greater in size than the cells of bacteria. In addition to the antibacterial properties of nanostructured metal surface improves the corrosion resistance.
“Such treatment of metal surfaces has an incredibly huge potential. Today stainless steel is used in various fields. Previously, we used a variety of coatings and spraying in order to fight bacteria. But sooner or later this film becomes thinner and fades away. Now we have learned to modify the surface of the steel, and this coating will remain with the material forever,” says Julie champion, Professor of biomolecular engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Sharp metal spikes, vytravlivaetsya on the metal surface, does not exceed 25 nanometers in height and under an electron microscope resemble a mountain range. A new protective coating during the first tests destroyed all gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Testing was performed on the example of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In this case, laboratory mouse any discomfort from contact with the modified surface is not felt. This suggests that such a coating can be applied also to a medical implant, implantable in the bodies of people and animals. The results of the study can be read in the journal ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering.
Scientists have created a metal coating destroys bacteria
Sergey Grey