An acrylate copolymer to prevent catheter-associated bacterial infections

In 2012, biomaterials researchers at the University of Nottingham discovered a material that prevented bacterial biofilms being formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Recently, further investigations by the Nottingham team building on this previous work have established an acrylate copolymer capable of resisting biofilm formation by Proteus mirabilis.

The new coating is reported to be resistant to single- and multi-species bacterial biofilm formation, swarming, encrustation and host protein deposition – all major challenges associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).

The copolymer, created by combining two different commercially-available monomers, has proved non-toxic in laboratory tests and has other potential applications ranging from food processing to touch surfaces in the environment.

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