Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Keeping Bacteria Away with a Special Paint #Science

Researchers have developed a way to place onto surfaces special coatings that chemically 'communicate' with bacteria, telling them what to do. The coatings, which could be useful in inhibiting or promoting bacterial growth as needed, possess this controlling power over bacteria because, in effect, they 'speak' the bug's own language.

Science Daily:  Chemical coatings boss around bacteria, in the bugs' own language

That's highly anthropomorphic so far and there isn't much science from that but we see the approach and wonder does this really work.




Princeton University researchers found that adding chemical coatings to surfaces can promote or inhibit bacterial communication known as quorum sensing, which is involved in biofilm formation and other bacterial behaviors. In this photo, graduate student Minyoung Kevin Kim views bacterial activity through a microscope.

Credit: Princeton University

Unknown what quorum sensing might be but we do see bacteria need that and this 'paint' inhibits it.


If you're thinking smart, paint ... it is.

The new technology, reported May 22 in Nature Microbiology, contain the very same sorts of biomolecules that microbes release naturally for communicating and coordinating group behavior -- a process called quorum sensing.

Hijacking this bacterial language of quorum sensing could open a range of applications, the researchers said. Coating surfaces in hospitals could combat the formation of fortress-like communities of bacteria called biofilms, thereby leaving the germs vulnerable to antibiotics in humans or to disinfectant cleaning products on hospital surfaces or equipment. Alternatively, if the bacteria deliver benefits -- as in wastewater treatment plants or in probiotic production -- then coating the surfaces of industrial equipment could boost the microbes' helpful activities.

- SD

Likely you're aware of MRSA and there's some potential for dealing with it effectively.


In closing

Overall, the prospect of selectively ratcheting up or tamping down bacterial chatter as a means of managing microbes has come much closer to actual practice.

"One can now imagine surfaces coated with these or other quorum-sensing molecules or derivatives for use in medicine, industry or agriculture that are resistant to colonization by harmful bacteria or promote colonization by beneficial bacteria," said Bassler, the Squibb Professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology, as well as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

"We believe this surface-focused approach can be impactful," said Stone, the Donald R. Dixon '69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. "We hope to continue the research and work with potential partners who might have applications that would benefit from the approach we are developing at Princeton."

- SD


This Rockhouse finds the news highly encouraging since I'm truly more afraid of MRSA in a hospital than I am about any surgery and I've had a lot of it.  There's no need to reiterate the problems with MRSA since we learned young about the dangers of infection and MRSA is among the worst of the worst but it's still generally the same thing.

I have tried to pack Neosporin everywhere I've been since I can handle bumps and bruises but infection terrifies me.  I did verify Neosporin has more active ingredients for anti-bug punch than Polysporin.  Now the risk of bugs may be reduced at least in hospitals and, judging by the write-up, the potential goes beyond that.  I still won't chuck the Neosporin but the news is good.

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