MRSA bacteria is a nasty, virulent bacteria that breeds in hospitals, killing patients in recovering from surgery or other afflicted with other ailments. So rather than antibiotics, which will eventually lose potency, MRSA-free hospitals can be made...with paint?
A group of biotech researchers developed the paint by knitting together carbon nanotubes with lysostaphin, an enzyme that slices open cell walls and kills them. Lysostaphin is a naturally-occurring substance that bacteria developed to combat other kinds of bacteria - a sort of organic nullifier that is also super-focused. That is, it only destroys staph bacteria, including MRSA. One hundred percent of the MRSA that came into contact with the lysostaphin paint died within two hours. Not bad results.
The lysostaphin/nanotube mix can be used in paint for hospital walls, and possibly to coat surgical instruments. It can be washed repeatedly without losing effectiveness and has a dry storage shelf life of up to six months. And as a bonus, the lysostaphin/nanotube mix is environmentally friendly!
A group of biotech researchers developed the paint by knitting together carbon nanotubes with lysostaphin, an enzyme that slices open cell walls and kills them. Lysostaphin is a naturally-occurring substance that bacteria developed to combat other kinds of bacteria - a sort of organic nullifier that is also super-focused. That is, it only destroys staph bacteria, including MRSA. One hundred percent of the MRSA that came into contact with the lysostaphin paint died within two hours. Not bad results.The lysostaphin/nanotube mix can be used in paint for hospital walls, and possibly to coat surgical instruments. It can be washed repeatedly without losing effectiveness and has a dry storage shelf life of up to six months. And as a bonus, the lysostaphin/nanotube mix is environmentally friendly!
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