Amid the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, researchers at Swansea University are leading the development of new technology that can kill some of the world’s most dangerous bacteria, demonstrating more than 99.9% effectiveness against P. aeruginosa.
The innovative technology is based on heteromultivalent nanogel – a flexible nanoparticle created by cross-linking polymers and adding fragments of galactose, fucose and antimicrobial peptides. Sugar residues bind to specific proteins on the surface of bacteria and direct the nanogel precisely to the target, after which the peptides destroy the bacterial membrane, ensuring rapid and selective destruction of pathogens without damaging healthy cells.
Extensive studies including flow cytometry, scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy showed that more than 99.99% of free-floating Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells were killed and over 99.9% of biofilm-protected P. aeruginosa bacteria were inactivated within 12 hours.
The nanogel also showed significant antibacterial activity against other important pathogens, including Escherichia coli (E. coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This development represents a promising and versatile approach to combating infections associated with biofilms and multidrug resistance – two of the most serious challenges of modern medicine.