A new nanothin coating material could be added to wound dressings and biomedical implants to prevent and even treat dangerous bacteria and fungi infections - even from the notoriously resistant superbugs.
The new material is among the thinnest coating materials with antimicrobial properties to date and is effective against superbugs - strains of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses that have developed a resistance to most antibiotics and antiseptics - while keeping human cells and tissues safe.
Researchers report the development of the new nanothin coating in the article "Broad-spectrum solvent-free layered black phosphorus as a rapid action antimicrobial" published in the ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
The War Against Superbugs
Antibiotic resistance among pathogens has become a global health threat. According to non-profit organization ReAct, resistant bacteria are already responsible for more than 750,000 deaths every year - and are only expected to get worse. Pathogens developing antibiotic resistance threatens to undermine medical procedures like medication, treatment, and even surgeries. Without new technologies to counteract this problem, death tolls could reach 10 million casualties per year by the year 2050, or equivalent to $100 trillion in health care expenditures.
Meanwhile, while fungal infections receive less attention, they are still responsible for about 1.5 million deaths every year. Following the global coronavirus pandemic, a particularly growing concern is an infection caused by the common fungus Aspergillus, which could lead to fatal secondary infections.
To help combat this problem, a research team led by RMIT University created the nanothin coating based on a 2D material that has been studied mostly for next-generation electronics applications. The material in question is black phosphorus (BP), recently revealed to also have antibacterial and antifungal properties, although it has not been formally studied for its potential medical applications.
Now, RMIT researchers demonstrate the properties of black phosphorus that allows it to kill bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens when spread in nanothin coatings applied over other materials like titanium and cotton, common materials for implants and wound dressings.
"These pathogens are responsible for massive health burdens and as drug-resistance continues to grow, our ability to treat these infections becomes increasingly difficult," said Dr. Aaron Elbourne, co-lead researcher of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at RMIT's School of Science, in a news release from the University.
How the Superbug Killing Nanothin Coating Works
As the black phosphorus in the coating breaks down, it oxidizes the surface of superbugs like bacteria and fungi. The process is known as cellular oxidization and eventually rips the pathogens apart.
In their study, the first author of the study and a Ph.D. researcher Zo Shaw tested the effectiveness of these nanothin coating layers against five common strains of bacteria such as E. coli and drug-resistant strains of the superbug Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), as well as five more kinds of fungi including the Candida auris strain.
After a two-hour exposure to the nanothin coating, 99% of the tested bacterial and fungal cells were oxidized and destroyed.
Additionally, the black phosphorus also self-degraded within the same time frame, completely disintegrating within 24 hours. This shows that the material degrades by itself and does not accumulate or leave residues in the body.
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