Antimicrobials

Safe for human cells but toxic to bacteria, fungi and viruses, a new strategy for sanitising surfaces could give us the advantage in the fight against pathogens.

Researchers are upcycling plastic waste into antimicrobial products to fight some of the most challenging bacterial infections.

Tiny zinc oxide-based spikes that mimic natural antibacterial coatings puncture and damage microbial cell walls via oxidation

Rapid synthesis of ring-shaped molecules offers a cheap route to a plethora of polymers with health and environmental applications

Antimicrobials generated using a multidisciplinary fragment-based strategy destroy drug-resistant bacterial membranes

Polymers that can be fine-tuned for optimal effect could help fight multidrug-resistant infections

Stable, inexpensive and easy-to-prepare active ingredients for topical treatments effectively clear a fungal eye infection

A hydrogel with potent antibacterial activity promises to protect hospital patients from difficult-to-treat infections

Graphene-based materials kill bacteria through one of two possible mechanisms

A nanoparticle designed by researchers at the A*STAR Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology and the IBM Almaden Research Center that could help combat superbugs garners international acclaim

Polymer-based nanostructures that can selectively burst open bacteria show promise for tackling drug-resistant microbes

Synthetic peptides designed on the basis of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides keep the germs at bay