EurekAlert December 13, 2019
Researchers in Canada have developed a plastic surface that can be shrink-wrapped onto door handles, railings, IV stands and other surfaces that can be magnets for bacteria such as MRSA and C. difficile. The surface is also treated chemically to further enhance its repellent properties, resulting in a barrier that is flexible, durable and inexpensive to reproduce. It works through a combination of nano-scale surface engineering and chemistry. The surface is textured with microscopic wrinkles that exclude all external molecules. A drop of water or blood or bacteria bounces away when it lands on the surface. The researchers tested the material using MRSA and Pseudomonas and verified that virtually no bacteria could transfer to the new surface. The treated material is also ideal for food packaging…read more.