Microbicide surface nano-structures

Abstract

The prevention of infectious diseases is a global challenge where multidrug-resistant bacteria or “superbugs” pose a serious threat to worldwide public health. Microtopographic surfaces have attracted much attention as they represent a biomimetic and nontoxic surface antibacterial strategy to replace biocides. The antimicrobial effect of such natural and biomimetic surface nanostructures involves a physical approach which eradicates bacteria via the structural features of the surfaces without any release of biocides or chemicals. These recent developments present a significant proof-of-concept and a powerful tool in which cellular adhesion and death caused by a physical approach, can be controlled by the micro/nanotopology of such surfaces. This represents an innovative direction of development of clean, effective and nonresistant antimicrobial surfaces. The minireview will cover novel approaches for the construction of nanostructures on surfaces in order to create antimicrobial surface in an environmentally friendly, nontoxic manner.

Keywords:

• Nano-structures
• surface disinfection
• microbicide
• physical rupturing
• microtopographic
• public health

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Biomedical Research Council, Agency for Science, Technology and Research and the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore under its NRF Competitive Research Program (NRF-CRP19-2017–02).