Scientists from the National University of Science and Technology have developed a unique method for creating needle-shaped nanostructures that kill fungi and bacteria.
Applied Surface Science notes that people are now facing more serious infections than ever before. This is closely related to the development of all areas of medicine. Fungi and bacteria are constantly evolving in response to the drugs used, and this leads to the emergence of types of microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics and can kill the patient.
And Russian scientists offer an unconventional way to solve this problem. It involves the impact on the causative agent of the infection with a “triple blow” without the use of antibiotics. This is done by damaging the bacterial membrane and then destroying it with metal ions and reactive oxygen species.
For this, university scientists, together with colleagues from the Research Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, managed to establish coatings from boron nitride nanoparticles, which can be replaced by silver or iron oxide nanoparticles.
Boron nitride carriers are needle-coated nanospheres. This unique shape allows it to damage the bacterial cell membrane on contact. These coatings also release metal ions that “destroy” damaged cells of the pathogen.
Test results showed that iron oxide nanoparticles are effective against E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and pneumococcus within the first three hours. As for the silver coating, it completely eliminates bacteria and parapsilosis candidiasis within one day.
This high efficiency depends on the forms of active oxygen, which are formed in large quantities when the coating comes into contact with the environment.
The innovators note that their method does not pose any danger to the patient’s health, but differs from analogues in the use of small doses of bactericidal components, while antibiotics are never used, which guarantees the absence of the development of resistance to them.
Source: News. Ro
