What is the Big Deal about a Germ Killer Paint?: A long lasting germ killer painted on surfaces would provide long lasting infection control in places where infections spread easily such as hospitals and cruise ships.
The interesting point about this paint is that it seems to form tiny lances that spear bacteria and viruses in the gut causing them to leak out their contents and die. Other germicides kill chemically, not physically.
Who Developed the Paint On Polymer and Where Were the Results Published?: Dr. Alexander Klibanov and his team of researchers at Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT) created germ killing polymers from materials bought from wholesale chemical companies. The results were published November 13, 2006 in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
The research was funded by the U.S. Army through MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Which Viruses and Bacteria Does the Polymer Kill and How Fast?: Two different influenza A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2), the gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and the gram bacteria Staphylococcus aureus bacteria died rather quickly after being exposed to coatings of a polymer painted onto glass slides. The fastest killer polymer tested killed nearly 100 per cent of flu virus within five minutes. Klibanov believes that in time, his lab can develop a polymer that kills even faster. Can you imagine how this would change the way germs are spread?
How Does the Polymer Work to Kill Germs and is it Toxic to Humans?: Experiments with animals cells, specifically green monkey kidney cells, have show that the polymer is innocuous. These initial toxicity studies are a good indicator that the polymer is not likely to be toxic to humans.
The polymer, in most of the nine forms tested, did not leach out into the virus or bacteria laden test solution. Its toxicity to germs then is not due to be from a chemical reaction between the polymer and bacteria and viruses.
It appears that charged branches on the mega molecule stick out and spear the outer coating of the virus and bacteria causing them to spill out their contents.
Could Bacteria and Virus Develop Resistance to This New Paint -On Polymer?: Bacteria and virus are not likely to create resistance to the polymer because the action is mechanical rather than chemical. While bacteria are very resourceful and often find ways around chemical enemies, developing resistance to polymer spikes is unlikely. Klibanov bluntly answers the question of resistance in the MIT newspaper TechTalk quoted as saying, “…it’s hard for someone to develop resistance to someone sticking a knife in your body.”
How Could the Polymer Be Used, Is It Expensive?: The polymer has just been developed in laboratories at MIT and is not available commercially at this time. Dr. Klibanov has written me that the polymer is not very expensive to produce.
The polymer would ideally be used to stop the spread of infectious diseaes in hospitals by painting it on doorknobs, telephones and any number of surfaces such as sinks, lamps touched by medical personnel and more.
The polymer could be used on cruise ships on bannisters, light switches and other commonly touched surfaces to stop the spread of disease in confined areas where outbreaks are difficult to contain.
Could the Polymer Have Everyday Uses?: The polymer, if found to be non-toxic in further tests, could be used to paint on children's toys, mobile phones, tables and public restrooms, just for starters. Of course more studies need to be carried out on the polymer before it is launched onto the market.
If the polymer turns out to be market worthy, the uses are really endless. The impact is sure to be positive in the area of health, especially in public facilities such as cruise ships, restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes and care centers, and prisons.
How Long Would the Polymer Last Once Applied?: According to Klibanov, the polymer should last as long as a coat of regular paint, although it may need to be cleaned with soapy water occasionally to maintain its effectiveness.
The spikes may get gummed up with dead bacteria and viruses and the paint, in time, may be rubbed off.
Sources:
- Haldar, Yalanta; Dequian, An; Alvarez de Cienfuegos, Luis; Chen, Jianzhu; Klibanov, Alexander, M., Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS), Published online doi:73.1073/060880310, Nov. 13, 2006.
- Trafton, Anne.. MIT TechTalk newspaper. Massachussetts Institute of Technology. November 2006.
- Klibanov, A., Professor of Chemistry and Bioengineering at the Massachussets Institute of Technology (MIT). Correspondence by e-mail with Anna Spector, November 2006.
