IBM and the Singapore Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have designed a new type of polymer capable of detecting and destroying antibiotic-resistant bacteria and preventing their evolution.
The most interesting feature of this nanostructure is that it is biodegradable and does not accumulate in the tissues: it can be easily eliminated from the body, unlike previous solutions based on polymers.
The material, used as a real 'invisible missile', destroys the cell membranes of bacteria: it has a marked aptitude to attack Gram-Positive ones, such as Staphylococcus aureus, resistant to methicillin. Another feature not to be overlooked: the nanostructures thus obtained are very simple to manufacture, and at reduced costs, and represent an important opportunity for the development of totally new drugs.
If they are made on an industrial scale, in a few years we will find ourselves injecting 'smart' solutions or using deodorants capable of destroying any possibility of contagion.
Source: Nature - Biodegradable nanostructures with selective lysis of microbial membranes
