Researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi have devised a unique way to attach penicillin to surgical tools and medical implants, which has been shown to be highly effective against Staphylococcus aureus.
Marek Urban and colleagues at the University of Southern Mississippi created a way to modify expanded poly(tetrafluorethylene) so penicillin adheres to its surface and remains highly effective. That polymer is used in medical procedures ranging from vascular grafting to plastic and reconstructive surgery.
In laboratory experiments, the researchers also demonstrated the penicillin-coated surfaces showed highly effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, which causes many serious human infections.
“This approach may serve as a general surface modification process for the development of polymeric surfaces with anti-microbial properties,” they said.
The research is to appear in the Feb. 12 edition of the journal Biomacromolecules.
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