Fighting Bacteria: How Can We Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections?

Bacteria live with each other in an organized network called a biofilm. The biofilm allows the bacteria to communicate with each other and transfer nutrients and signals from one bacterium to another. This communication provides the bacteria with new properties that allow them to survive, even when they are exposed to harmful compounds that usually kill them (for example, antibiotics). These persistent bacteria can now cause what are called hospital-acquired infections because patients often get them while in a healthcare facility, like a hospital. Hospital-acquired infections obviously endanger the health of patients and may lead to death. So, it is important to find solutions that prevent bacteria from forming biofilms. My research group designed and synthesized a compound that forms a coating on different materials and does not allow bacteria to form biofilm. This compound may be useful in the future as a coating for medical devices, water desalination facilities, and food preparation surfaces.