Stainless steel nanotexturing wipes out surface bacteria

Stainless steel 316L, widely used in medical devices and food processing equipment, is prone to bacterial adhesion, which can cause serious infections. The nanotexturing process tested by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers, published in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering was shown to inactivate bacteria without adverse impacts to mammalian cells. The development of tiny spikes and other nano-projections on the surface is believed to puncture bacterial membranes.
To constrain adhesion of both gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, the treatment appears to improve corrosion resistance. Compatibility with mammalian cellsis crucial for medical applications as cells must adhere to implants. The surface modification should also prevent bacteria from adhering to food processing equipment, enhancing existing sterilization techniques. Julie Champion, an associate professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, stated that a lot of the antimicrobial approaches were currently used add some sort of surface film, which can wear off the microbes. It might be a permanent change to the material when the steel itself is modified.
The surface segregation of chromium and molybdenum increased with texturing which improves corrosion resistance.

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