| Date | 13th, Jul 2021 |
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image: A depiction of hyper-motile E.coli, a strain of bacteria found to resist silver nanoparticles' antimicrobial properties after repeated exposure. view more
Credit: Lisa Stabryla/University of Pittsburgh.
Antimicrobials are used to kill or slow the growth of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. They can be in the form of antibiotics, used to treat bodily infections, or as an additive or coating on commercial products used to keep germs at bay. These life-saving tools are essential to preventing and treating infections in humans, animals and plants, but they also pose a global threat to public health when microorganisms develop resistance to them, a concept known as antimicrobial resistance.
One of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance is the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents, which includes silver nanoparticles, an advanced material with well-documented antimicrobial properties. It is increasingly used in commercial products that boast enhanced germ-killing performance - it has been woven into textiles, coated onto toothbrushes, and even mixed into cosmetics as a preservative.
