Welcome to the South Australian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility
Novel antimicrobial coating set to revolutionise wound management.
2024_03
Researchers on a mission to tackle the global menace of antimicrobial resistance have collaborated with the
South Australian node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility (ANFF-SA) to develop a revolutionary antimicrobial coating for use in wound dressings and medical devices.
Leveraging the properties of Povidone, a widely recognised antiseptic found in common wound care products, Associate Professor Anton Blencowe and his team at the University of South Australia (UniSA) have developed a potent polymer-iodine nanoscale coating.
This innovative coating, which can be easily applied to diverse substrates like wound dressings, medical devices, and implants demonstrates remarkable efficacy against microbes and presents a compelling alternative for effective wound management.
A/Prof Blencowe is enthusiastic about the advancements his team is making in broad-spectrum antimicrobial materials. He attributes their success to exploring Povidone's properties as a stable nanoscale coating, his research team's dedication and perseverance and the specialised facilities and expertise available through ANFF-SA at UniSA’s Mawson Lakes campus.
“Exhibiting substantial antimicrobial potency against diverse bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains, our novel polymer-iodine nanoscale coatings are demonstrating a unique ability to eradicate up to 99.99999 percent of microbes - which is pretty exciting," said A/Prof Blencowe.
“The composition of our coating supports precise tuning so medical professionals can regulate the loading and controlled release of iodine to eliminate microbes and aid the healing process.”
A/Prof Blencowe said ANFF-SA provided open-access to well-maintained analytical instruments, highly specialised fabrication facilities, and an experienced technical team to fabricate their novel substrates - which would otherwise be beyond their reach.
“ANFF played a pivotal role in custom designing and fabricating our micro-pillared quartz substrates for sample immobilisation, which facilitated our advanced coating analysis using their atomic force microscopy facilities," said A/Prof Blencowe.
“The technical team are awesome, very helpful and friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. They are experts in taking a rough description of an idea and coming up with an engineering solution to build a functional device.”
Professor Craig Priest, Director of ANFF-SA, is thrilled to see the impactful collaboration between researchers and ANFF-SA in addressing the pressing issue of antimicrobial resistance.
“This revolutionary antimicrobial coating holds tremendous promise for enhancing wound management and combating multidrug-resistant bacteria, benefiting both human and animal health as well as the integrity of our global food supply chain," said Prof Craig Priest.
ANFF-SA is a world-class micro and nanofabrication facility providing open access to cutting-edge equipment housed in state-of-the-art facilities with support from world-leading experts.
If you require support or assistance with your current project or upcoming research, please contact us today on 08 8302 5226 or visit anff-sa.com