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Current potential research project
Development of Novel antibacterial surfaces coatings
- Supervisors: Dr Krasimir Vasilev, Dr Spomenka Simovic and Dr Dusan Losic
- Area: Nano technology, mechanical Engineering
- Abstract: Even in the 21st century infections are tremendous problem in our society. In the case of medical devices infections due to pathogenic bacteria cause not only death and suffering of the patients but also bilious on dollars of added hospital charges for the healthcare systems worldwide. The aim of the project is development of novel antibacterial coatings which release antimicrobial compounds for medical devices and other applications. The coatings will be based on polymer films fabricated by plasma deposition. Plasma polymerization is a technique which is well established in our lab and already applied for silver and drug releases coatings in our research. A serious concern with current coatings is not only the efficiency over prolonged length of time but also the cytoxicity of towards mammalian cells. The main goal of this project is to control the amount of loaded antinicrobal agents in the coatings and the rate of their release. The hypothesis underlying this project is that by control over the amount of released antimicrobial agents a balance can be found where the concentration of this agent is lethal for bacteria but tolerable by mammalian cells. The rationale behind this hypothesis is that bacterial cells a small, with simple cell membrane and do not have a nucleus. In contrast mammalian cells are much larger, have a complex cell membrane and a nucleus.
- Related references: Not provided
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