How stained glass can help in the battle against superbugs

Bacteria can form colonies (known as biofilms) on the surface of objects. This is a particular problem when it occurs on medical devices implanted into the body, such as catheters, prosthetic cardiac valves and intrauterine devices, as biofilms can display resistance to both antibiotics and the body’s immune response. Any incision into the body risks a surgical infection, and if a biofilm takes hold it can be difficult to eradicate. With the rise in antibiotic resistance, scientists are seeking new ways to prevent infections, and there is increasing interest in impregnate medical devices with antimicrobial substances. In work recently published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, researchers from Aston University in Birmingham, led by Dr Richard Martin, explored the antimicrobial potential of phosphate glasses doped with cobalt, and found them to be effective against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans when placed in direct contact, suggesting that cobalt-doped bioactive glasses could be developed with antimicrobial properties. The technique they discovered is similar to those used to make stained glass in medieval times.