Researchers at Chalmers have developed a new method to prevent infections, by covering a graphene-based coating with bactericidal molecules.
Graphene Coating - Suitable as an Attachment Material
There are a variety of water-insoluble, or hydrophobic, drugs and molecules that can be used for their antibacterial properties, but in order for them to be used in the body, they must be attached to a material, which can be difficult and labor intensive to manufacture.
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Through our research, we have succeeded in binding water-insoluble antibacterial molecules to the graphene, and having the molecules release in a controlled, continuous manner from the material. This is an essential requirement for the method to work. The way in which we bind the active molecules to the graphene coating is also very simple, and could be easily integrated into industrial processes,” explains Santosh Pandit, researcher at the Department of Biology and Biological Engineering at Chalmers, and first author of the study which was recently published in Scientific Reports.
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Graphene offers great potential here for interaction with hydrophobic molecules or drugs, and when we created our new material, we made use of these properties. The process of binding the antibacterial molecules takes place with the help of ultrasound,” says Santosh Pandit.
Graphene Coating Covered with Usnic Acid
In the study, the graphene coating was covered with usnic acid, which is extracted from lichens, for example fruticose lichen. Previous research has shown that usnic acid has good bactericidal properties. It works by preventing bacteria from forming nucleic acids, especially inhibiting of RNA synthesis, and thus blocking protein production in the cell. Usnic acid was tested for its resistance to the pathogenic bacteria
Staphylococcus aureus and
Staphylococcus epidermidis, two common culprits for biofilm formation on medical implants.
Simple Method Paves Way for Future Drugs
The researchers’ new material displayed a number of promising properties. In addition to successful results for integrating the usnic acid into the surface of the graphene material, they also observed that the usnic acid molecules were released in a controlled and continuous manner, thus preventing the formation of biofilms on the surface.
“Even more importantly, our results show that the method for binding the hydrophobic molecules to graphene is simple. It paves the way for more effective antibacterial protection of biomedical products in the future. We are now planning trials where we will explore binding other hydrophobic molecules and drugs with even greater potential to treat or prevent various clinical infections,” says Santosh Pandit.
Source: Chalmers University of Technology