This material uses energy from ambient light to kill hospital superbugs
In lab tests, the quantum dot polymer nearly eliminated two drug-resistant strains of bacteria
PHOENIX — A new material that harnesses the power of ambient light to produce bacteria-killing molecules could help stem the spread of hospital infections, including those with drug-resistant bacteria.
About 1 in 10 patients worldwide get an infection while receiving treatment at a hospital or other health care facility, according to the World Health Organization. “Contaminated hospital surfaces play a key role in spreading those infections,” said Ethel Koranteng, a chemist at University College London, on April 5 at the Materials Research Society spring meeting.