科学家发明了超级抗虫、自我清洁的保鲜膜

科学家发明了超级抗虫、自我清洁的保鲜膜

Researchers have developed a self-cleaning plastic wrap that repels bacteria -- and could be used to prevent the transfer of antibiotic resistant superbugs, and other forms of dangerous bacteria.

研究人员已经开发出一种可以自我清洁的塑料薄膜，这种薄膜可以抵抗细菌，并且可以用来防止耐抗生素的超级细菌和其他形式的危险细菌的传播。

A team of scientists from Canada's McMaster University used a combination of nano-scalesurface engineering and chemistry to develop a treated form of transparent wrap -- which repels all kinds of bacteria.

来自加拿大麦克马斯特大学的一组科学家将纳米尺度表面工程和化学结合起来，开发出一种经过处理的透明薄膜，它可以击退各种细菌。

The coating, inspired by water-resistant lotus leaves, is textured with microscopic "wrinkles" that block out external molecules and are chemically treated, meaning that water, blood or bacteria bounce away when they come into contact with the surface.

这种表层的灵感来自于防水的荷叶，其纹理带有微小的“皱纹”，这些皱纹会阻挡外部分子，并经过化学处理，这意味着当水、血液或细菌接触到表面时，它们会反弹。

The plastic covering can be shrink wrapped onto surfaces that are considered common breeding grounds for bacteria like MRSA -- such as door handles, railings and IV stands.

这种塑料覆盖物可以收缩包裹在诸如门把手、栏杆和输液架等被认为是耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌等细菌常见滋生地的表面上。

"We developed the wrap to address the major threat that is posed by multi-drug resistant bacteria," Leyla Soleymani, an engineering physicist who co-led the research, published Friday in the journal ACS Nano, told CNN.

周五发表在ACS Nano杂志上的工程物理学家莱拉·索莱马尼告诉CNN：“我们开发这种保护膜是为了解决多重抗药性细菌构成的主要威胁。”她是这项研究的共同负责人。

"Given the limited treatment options for these bugs, it is key to reduce their spread from one person to another," she added.

她补充说:“鉴于这些细菌的治疗选择有限，减少它们从一个人传播到另一个人是关键。”

According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States every year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result of these drug-resistant infections.

根据美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据，美国每年有超过280万例耐药感染，超过3.5万人死于这些耐药感染。

The researchers believe the new material could also be used to package food, and could stop the spread of bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and listeria from raw meats and foods.

研究人员认为，这种新材料也可以用来包装食品，并可以阻止细菌的传播，如来自生肉和食品的大肠杆菌、沙门氏菌和李斯特菌。

Some 20% of all drug-resistant infections come from the food we eat, according to the CDC.

根据疾病预防控制中心的数据，大约20%的耐药感染来自我们吃的食物。

"We're structurally tuning that plastic," Soleymani said in a statement. "This material gives us something that can be applied to all kinds of things," she added.
索利马尼在一份声明中表示:“我们正在对塑料进行结构调整。”“这种材料给了我们一些东西，可以应用到各种各样的事情上，”她补充说。

The surface, the researchers say, is durable, flexible and inexpensive to make.

研究人员说，这种表面耐用、灵活，而且制造成本低廉。

They tested the material using MRSA and Pseudomonas -- considered the most dangerous forms of antibiotic-resistant bacteria -- using electron microscope images to confirm that virtually no bacteria could transfer to the surface.

他们使用MRSA和假单胞菌(被认为是最危险的耐抗生素细菌)对材料进行了测试，利用电子显微镜图像确认，实际上没有细菌可以转移到表面。

"We can see this technology being used in all kinds of institutional and domestic settings," Tohid Didar, who co-led the research, said. "As the world confronts the crisis of anti-microbial resistance, we hope it will become an important part of the anti-bacterial toolbox," he said.

“我们可以看到这项技术在各种机构和家庭环境中都得到了应用，”共同领导这项研究的托希德·迪达尔说。他说:“在全世界面临抗微生物耐药性危机之际，我们希望它能成为抗菌工具箱的重要组成部分。”