Lab Technique Makes Bacteria Face the Music, and it is Metal!

Ever since I learned about the dangers of antibiotic drug resistance in high school biology, an occasional anxiety visits me and reminds me that the time bomb hasn't been diffused. The horror stories my wrestling coaches told me about MRSA to make sure we mopped the mats properly did little to help this. The tale goes that a patient with a bacterial infection chose to stop taking their antibiotics when they felt better, rather than when the doctor prescribed. As figure 1 explains, the population takes the opportunity to regenerate; not only will the infection return, but now with the ability to resist antibiotics on a larger scale. 

Fig. 1: Genetic adaptation and transference allow a population to survive antibiotics.

A rather ominously titled report by the CDC reports that on average, someone in the United States gets an antibiotic-resistant infection every 11 seconds and every 15 minutes someone dies. This statistic is lower than in previous years, but not without a warning: "Without continued vigilance, this progress may be challenged by the increasing burden of some infections." As we watch the United States cut funding from the World Health Organisation, and Capitalists steadily combat affordable healthcare, only the willfully ignorant could miss the writing on the wall. Antibacterial Resistance is going to become a major threat once again.

Purdue University engineers recently developed a laser-texturing technique that allows metal surfaces to kill bacteria instantaneously. The team already proved this technique effective against the MRSA I was so afraid of as a kid. This massive step toward reducing the spread of infectious bacteria creates nano-scale patterns on the metal's surface. The patterns increases surface area of the metal, allowing for contact with more bacteria. An article detailing the discovery emphasizes on the efficacy of this lab technique over various nano-coating techniques that attempted to enhance the antibacterial properties of metals in the past. Laser texturing adds no new substance, while the substances nano-coating used were often toxic. 

Fig 2: Laser Texturing. Increased surface area allows for the lethal dose of copper ions to enter bacteria much faster.

The continuing research of how to face upcoming health challenges is indispensable. If it is not impressive enough that the engineers at Purdue University amplified the disinfectant properties of metal to such a degree, than consider the secondary impact of the technique. As can be seen in the University's video, this technique makes metal surfaces more hydrophilic. Orthopedic implants will attach more strongly and safely, improving the integration of the implants into bone.