科學家發(fā)明了超級抗蟲、自我清潔的保鮮膜

科學家發(fā)明了超級抗蟲、自我清潔的保鮮膜

Researchers have developed a self-cleaning plastic wrap that repels bacteria -- and could be used to prevent the transfer of antibiotic resistant superbugs, and other forms of dangerous bacteria.

研究人員已經(jīng)開發(fā)出一種可以自我清潔的塑料薄膜，這種薄膜可以抵抗細菌，并且可以用來防止耐抗生素的超級細菌和其他形式的危險細菌的傳播。

A team of scientists from Canada's McMaster University used a combination of nano-scalesurface engineering and chemistry to develop a treated form of transparent wrap -- which repels all kinds of bacteria.

來自加拿大麥克馬斯特大學的一組科學家將納米尺度表面工程和化學結(jié)合起來，開發(fā)出一種經(jīng)過處理的透明薄膜，它可以擊退各種細菌。

The coating, inspired by water-resistant lotus leaves, is textured with microscopic "wrinkles" that block out external molecules and are chemically treated, meaning that water, blood or bacteria bounce away when they come into contact with the surface.

這種表層的靈感來自于防水的荷葉，其紋理帶有微小的“皺紋”，這些皺紋會阻擋外部分子，并經(jīng)過化學處理，這意味著當水、血液或細菌接觸到表面時，它們會反彈。

The plastic covering can be shrink wrapped onto surfaces that are considered common breeding grounds for bacteria like MRSA -- such as door handles, railings and IV stands.

這種塑料覆蓋物可以收縮包裹在諸如門把手、欄桿和輸液架等被認為是耐甲氧西林金黃色葡萄球菌等細菌常見滋生地的表面上。

"We developed the wrap to address the major threat that is posed by multi-drug resistant bacteria," Leyla Soleymani, an engineering physicist who co-led the research, published Friday in the journal ACS Nano, told CNN.

周五發(fā)表在ACS Nano雜志上的工程物理學家萊拉·索萊馬尼告訴CNN：“我們開發(fā)這種保護膜是為了解決多重抗藥性細菌構(gòu)成的主要威脅。”她是這項研究的共同負責人。

"Given the limited treatment options for these bugs, it is key to reduce their spread from one person to another," she added.

她補充說:“鑒于這些細菌的治療選擇有限，減少它們從一個人傳播到另一個人是關(guān)鍵。”

According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States every year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result of these drug-resistant infections.

根據(jù)美國疾病控制與預(yù)防中心的數(shù)據(jù)，美國每年有超過280萬例耐藥感染，超過3.5萬人死于這些耐藥感染。

The researchers believe the new material could also be used to package food, and could stop the spread of bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and listeria from raw meats and foods.

研究人員認為，這種新材料也可以用來包裝食品，并可以阻止細菌的傳播，如來自生肉和食品的大腸桿菌、沙門氏菌和李斯特菌。

Some 20% of all drug-resistant infections come from the food we eat, according to the CDC.

根據(jù)疾病預(yù)防控制中心的數(shù)據(jù)，大約20%的耐藥感染來自我們吃的食物。

"We're structurally tuning that plastic," Soleymani said in a statement. "This material gives us something that can be applied to all kinds of things," she added.
索利馬尼在一份聲明中表示:“我們正在對塑料進行結(jié)構(gòu)調(diào)整。”“這種材料給了我們一些東西，可以應(yīng)用到各種各樣的事情上，”她補充說。

The surface, the researchers say, is durable, flexible and inexpensive to make.

研究人員說，這種表面耐用、靈活，而且制造成本低廉。

They tested the material using MRSA and Pseudomonas -- considered the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- using electron microscope images to confirm that virtually no bacteria could transfer to the surface.

他們使用MRSA和假單胞菌(被認為是最危險的耐抗生素細菌)對材料進行了測試，利用電子顯微鏡圖像確認，實際上沒有細菌可以轉(zhuǎn)移到表面。

"We can see this technology being used in all kinds of institutional and domestic settings," Tohid Didar, who co-led the research, said. "As the world confronts the crisis of anti-microbial resistance, we hope it will become an important part of the anti-bacterial toolbox," he said.

“我們可以看到這項技術(shù)在各種機構(gòu)和家庭環(huán)境中都得到了應(yīng)用，”共同領(lǐng)導這項研究的托希德·迪達爾說。他說:“在全世界面臨抗微生物耐藥性危機之際，我們希望它能成為抗菌工具箱的重要組成部分。”