Aus researchers develop new antibacterial coating to prevent infections on medical implants
Melbourne, June 4 (UNI) Australian researchers have developed a new antibacterial coating inspired by insect resilin that shows promise, for preventing infections on medical implants.
The study is the first to demonstrate that coatings made from resilin-mimetic proteins can fully block bacterial attachment to surfaces, potentially offering a powerful alternative to antibiotics, especially against drug-resistant strains like MRSA, according to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
Despite sterilisation, bacteria often colonise implants post-surgery, leading to infections that increasingly resist antibiotics, which has driven interest in self-sterilising materials and antibacterial surfaces, said the study's lead author Namita Roy Choudhury from RMIT.
Derived from resilin, the elastic protein that allows fleas to jump, the synthetic version is biocompatible, non-toxic, and highly flexible, according to the RMIT team which tested its variants against E. coli and human skin cells in the lab.
The coatings, in nano droplet form known as coacervates, proved 100% effective at repelling bacteria while remaining compatible with healthy human cells, crucial for use in implants, said the study published in Advances in Colloid and Interface Science.
These droplets interact with bacterial membranes via electrostatic forces, destabilising them and causing cell death, said co-lead author Nisal Wanasingha from the RMIT.
"Unlike antibiotics, which can lead to resistance, the mechanical disruption caused by the resilin coatings may prevent bacteria from establishing resistance mechanisms," Wanasingha said.
Potential applications include coatings for surgical tools, catheters, wound dressings, and medical implants as a protective spray, he said, adding unlike silver nanoparticles or chemical antimicrobials, resilin-based coatings are protein-derived and environmentally friendly.
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