Researchers are experimenting with a material that is similar to shark skin to prevent the spread of bacteria in hospitals.
Resembling the tooth-like structures of shark skin, the material called Sharklet consists of tiny bumps, ridges and groves that prevent superbugs like the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) from latching on.
"Shark skin itself is not an antimicrobial surface, rather it seems highly adapted to resist attachment of living organisms such as algae and barnacles," study researcher Ethan Mann, a research scientist at Sharklet Technologies says. "We have learned much from nature in building this material texture."
In a new study, researchers applied bacteria on smooth surfaces, copper surfaces and Sharklet surfaces with a paint sprayer to imitate sneezing, and used a contaminated cloth to press against the surfaces to imitate how bacteria spreads via touch.
Published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, researchers found that the shark-like material contained 94 percent less MRSA bacteria than the smooth surfaces. The copper surface contained 80 percent less MRSA bacteria compared to the smooth surface.
While both the Sharklet and the copper surfaces fought off MRSA contamination, the Sharklet had 97 percent less Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteria than the copper surface, which had as much MSSA as the smooth surface. Studies show that copper surfaces in hospital rooms are successful in warding out the spread of MRSA. However, bacteria can become resistant to copper.
While Sharklet could be an armor to help prevent the spread of illness, the first line of defense lies within the hands of doctors. MRSA and other bacteria spread in hospitals after a doctor or nurse forgets to wash their hands after touching an infected patient. The surface may not protect bacteria if proper sanitary measures are not taken in hospitals.
"The Sharklet texture is designed to be manufactured directly into the surfaces of plastic products that surround patients in hospital, including environmental surfaces as well as medical devices," Mann says. "Sharklet does not introduce new materials or coatings-- it simply alters the shape and texture of existing materials to create surface properties that are unfavorable for bacterial contamination."
Further studies in real-world settings will need to be conducted to confirm the findings that the shark skin material might ward off MRSA and other infections in hospitals.
