Clothes That Kill

StriderA writes "Robert Engel, of Queens College at The City University of New York, and colleagues have developed a new defence against bacteria and fungi. It seems that they have created tiny molecular daggers that actually seek and destroy the fatty bacteria. Applications to include battling athletes foot to military uniforms that kill anthrax."

Comments

Antiseptic surfaces, and sweat

[wowbagger]

This could be used not only for fabrics but for any surfaces that can have the "daggers" bonded to them, creating long-lasting antiseptic surfaces.

However, for clothing I have a question - how would the oils in sweat affect the surface? Would they occupy all the "daggers" and prevent the microbes from being penetrated?

Re:This antiseptic obsession

[arvindn]

Ah, but this clothing isn't chemically antibiotic, it's physically antibiotic.

Well, in a limited sense. You realize, of course, that the dagger stuff is just by way of analogy.

(From the article):
The "blade" is a carbon chain up to 16 atoms long, populated only by hydrogen atoms. It has a strong affinity for fatty surfaces.

That sure sounds like chemical action to me.

However, the reaction is not specific to some compound in the microbe:

When bacterial or fungal spores approach the fabric, their negatively charged fatty membranes are attracted to positive charges on the nitrogen-rich rings and to the fat-seeking blades.

So since it is not selective, you're right: there is no chance of creating resistant germs. There's no way the critters can stop having fatty membranes altogether.

How to get funding 101

[MerlynEmrys67]

Works for government funding, or VC funding as well... Find out what the hot topic of the day is... Storage Area Networks, Killing Anthrax... Find a way of writting those things into your proposal regardless of whether it makes sense ??? Profit Interestingly enough Anthrax doesn't do much damage to skin contact, you have to BREATH it into your lungs, a fancy set of clothes won't stop that unless you are wearing it as a mask, and if you are doing that I'd just assume wear a NBC suit that will protect me from the really dangerous stuff on the battlefield