| Date | 22nd, Aug 2020 |
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Common whitetail dragonfly. Credit: Christopher Johnson (Insects Unlocked, University of Texas at Austin
Scientists reveal how nanomaterials inspired by insect wings are able to destroy bacteria on contact — by stretching, slicing or tearing them apart.
The wings of cicadas and dragonflies are natural bacteria killers, a phenomenon that has spurred researchers searching for ways to defeat drug-resistant superbugs.
New anti-bacterial surfaces are being developed, featuring different nanopatterns that mimic the deadly action of insect wings, but scientists are only beginning to unravel the mysteries of how they work.
In a review published in Nature Reviews Microbiology, researchers have detailed exactly how these patterns destroy bacteria — stretching, slicing or tearing them apart.
