Conducting plastics found in
smartphone screens can be used to trick the metabolism of pathogenic bacteria,
report scientists. By adding or removing electrons from the plastic surface,
bacteria may be tricked into growing more or less. The method may find
widespread use in preventing bacterial infections in hospitals or improve
effectiveness in wastewater management.
When bacteria attach to a surface they
grow quickly into a thick film known as a biofilm. These biofilms frequently
occur in our surroundings but are especially dangerous in hospitals where they
can cause life threatening infections. Researchers have now aimed to address
this problem by producing coatings for medical devices made from a cheap
conducting plastic called PEDOT, which is what makes smartphone screens respond
to touch. By applying a small voltage, the PEDOT surface was either flooded
with electrons or left almost empty, which in turn affected the growth of
Salmonella bacteria.
See:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle