| A new copper coating that kills bacteria quicker and in greater amounts than current formulations could soon be available for hospitals and other high-traffic facilities. | |
| Although current formulations made of pure copper are antibacterial and self-sanitizing, they kill certain types of bacteria with a thicker cell wall (Gram-positive bacteria), more slowly than bacteria with a thinner cell wall (Gram-negative). | |
| A team of UBC researchers led by Dr. Amanda Clifford, an assistant professor in the department of materials engineering, have designed a nano-copper coating that includes bacteria-killing nanoscale features and zinc. The nanoscale features are tiny bumps that can kill bacteria by rupturing their cell wall. Zinc, which is also antibacterial, selectively oxidizes in the presence of copper and helps kill bacteria more quickly compared to pure copper alone. | |
| “Use of our coating could significantly reduce the incidence of contracting bacterial infections from high-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities, such as doorknobs and elevator buttons, since it kills bacteria using multiple approaches,” says Dr. Clifford. “As it contains less copper than other existing coatings or whole copper parts, it would also be cheaper to make.” | |
| The team found that the material took just one hour to kill 99.7 per cent of Staphylococcus aureus – a Gram-positive pathogen commonly responsible for hospital-acquired infections – compared with two hours for pure copper. | |
| “Not only does this coating kill pathogens faster than pure copper, it helps ensure antibiotics remain effective,” said Dr. Clifford. “By using this new formulation, we’re killing pathogens before patients become infected and need to use antibiotics against them, slowing the rise of antibiotic resistance.” | |
| The researchers have filed a provisional patent for the coating and fabrication process, which is described in a new paper in Advanced Materials Interfaces (“An Engineered Nanocomposite Copper Coating with Enhanced Antibacterial Efficacy”). | |
| “This is currently targeted for hospitals and health care settings because these locations are where the antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are an issue. We also don’t want to be at a place where we can’t use antibiotics,” says Dr. Clifford. | |
| The team plans to further evaluate the material against other pathogens, such as viruses, with hopes to eventually commercialize their work. |
News
Why music from your youth still has such an intense effect years later: A psychological perspective
You're driving, and suddenly a familiar song fills the air. Before you even know it, a wave of emotions comes over you – not just memories, but a deep, almost physical feeling. This powerful [...]
AI to antibody in days: breaking the wet lab bottleneck via high-throughput integration
The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug design has fundamentally shifted from a speculative tool to a central pillar of pharmaceutical research and development (R&D). Sino Biological plays a critical role in this [...]
Regenerative Healthcare by Design: Engineering Health-Centric Buildings and Urban Ecosystems
Introduction The next evolution of healthcare will not be confined to hospitals, clinics, or episodic interventions—it will be embedded into the infrastructure of everyday life. Regenerative health ecosystems require a systemic re-architecture of how [...]
Scientists Warn: Humanity Has Pushed the Planet Past Its Limits
Human population and consumption have surpassed Earth’s limits, increasing risks to climate and global stability. The Earth is already operating beyond its capacity to sustainably support the global population, according to new research highlighting [...]
Breakthrough Study Reveals Why Damaged Nerves Struggle To Heal
A newly identified molecular mechanism reveals how neurons weigh survival against repair after injury. Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified a molecular switch in neurons that limits the regrowth of [...]
Popular Vitamin B3 Supplements May Help Cancer Cells Survive, Scientists Warn
A new study raises important questions about widely used NAD+ supplements, suggesting that compounds often taken to boost energy and support healthy aging may have unintended consequences in cancer treatment. Millions of Americans take [...]
Scientists Discover Cancer Tumors Are “Addicted” to This Common Antioxidant
Cancer cells may be exploiting a common antioxidant as fuel, revealing a potential weakness that future therapies could target. Cancer cells may be tapping into an unexpected energy source: an antioxidant long associated with [...]
Nanotube injector transfers cytoplasmic contents and organelles between living cells safely
Cells are not isolated units; they continuously exchange proteins, genetic material, and even entire organelles with their neighbors. Intercellular transfer influences how tissues develop, respond to stress, and repair damage. In certain cancers, for [...]
CEO of America’s largest public hospital system is ready to replace radiologists with AI
The chief executive of America’s largest public hospital system says he is prepared to start replacing radiologists with artificial intelligence in some circumstances, once the regulatory landscape catches up. Mitchell H. Katz, MD, president [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Study finds higher heart disease risk in long COVID patients
People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine. The results show that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias [...]
The Corona variant Cicada is here – we know that
Online and on social media, reports are piling up about a new Sars-Cov-2 variant that is currently on the rise: BA.3.2, also known as Cicada. That's what it's all about: The Omicron variant BA.3.2, [...]
A Simple Blood Test Could Predict Dementia Risk 25 Years Early
A single blood marker may quietly signal dementia risk decades in advance. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a blood signal that could forecast dementia risk decades before symptoms begin. Their [...]
Sperm Get Lost in Space and Scientists Finally Know Why
Having a baby in space may be far more complicated than expected, as new research shows sperm struggle to find their way in microgravity. Starting a family beyond Earth could be more complicated than [...]
Digital Dementia – Brain fog and disassociation from being chronically online
New medical evidence, featured on 60 Minutes Australia, indicates excessive screen time is causing "digital dementia" in young Australians, with brain scans showing physical shrinkage and damage. Experts warn that high device usage (6-8 hours [...]
A new, highly mutated COVID variant called ‘Cicada’ is spreading in the US.
BA.3.2, a heavily mutated new COVID-19 variant which may be better able to escape immunity from vaccines or prior infection, is now spreading in the United States. Although COVID cases are currently low nationally, [...]
