Nanotech Paint To Kill Bacteria

ColGraff points out reporting at Science News about the possibility of killing bacteria with paint. Scientists in the UK have found that high concentrations of titanium oxide nanoparticles in paint can kill bacteria by creating hydroxyl radicals when exposed to ordinary fluorescent light. Titanium dioxide is present in most white paint at concentrations of 30% or so, but not always at nanoparticle scale. The researchers found that an 80% concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles worked well to kill E. Coli bacteria. There is hope that the technique could be used against "superbugs," which are resistant to multiple antibiotics. A researcher not associated with the UK team pointed out the problem with developing products based on this idea: "[A]nything that survives and sticks around grows greater resistance... ultimately [antibiotic paint] will be its own worst enemy and the bacteria could grow to be even stronger."

Comments

A researcher says what?

[Naughty Bob]

A researcher not associated with the UK team pointed out the problem with developing products based on this idea: "[A]nything that survives and sticks around grows greater resistance... ultimately [antibiotic paint] will be its own worst enemy and the bacteria could grow to be even stronger."

What a crazy thing to say. It's true, for sure, but has always been the case in the arms race against bacteria. It's what natural selection does...

What could possibly be the researcher's motivation to say such a strange thing?

*cough*She's the founder of a rival nanotech firm*cough*

A coincidence, or fear mongering unscientific FUD? You decide!

Re:A researcher says what?

[goombah99]

Actually that was the very forst thing I thought of. Basically the paint is harnessing photon energy to increase the availability of an energetic and highly reactive compound. It also kills bacteria. If some bacteria figures out how to live in the environment --- alkyline loving bacteria exist-- then it will have free food and no competition.

Unlike anti-bacterial soaps, this food source is persistent so the bacteria can more quickly adapt.

Re:A researcher says what?

[mrbooze]

And yet the response is always "just use soap and water".

So why aren't we getting soap-and-water-resistant bacteria? Presumably because such an evolved trait is too "expensive".

A genetics professor of mine once explained that when I asked if bacteria can become resistant to alcohol. (As he was wiping his hands with Purell.) He said, yes, you can induce bacteria to evolve alcohol-resistance in a lab environment, but it's such an expensive adaptation that as soon as the alcohol exposure is reduced, the trait rapidly disappears again.

So the real question would be, is any resistance encouraged by this nano-particle approach an expensive trait or not?

Re:Let's hope they keep it controller

[Teun]

You are talking about a US problem, the too liberal, really uncontrolled, abuse of industrial strength disinfectants.

The problem here is British, a historical lack of hygiene.

The paint proposed could be a solution but I doubt whether they'll ever be able to recuperate the investments by lack of an export market...

Another issue is that by now it's known nano particles are potentially in the same league as Asbestos fibres and spreading them on large surfaces might introduces other problems.