Dissolve to Solve
Hospitals are dangerous places. About 2 million patients a year acquire new infections in them, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A major cause is bacterial contamination of urinary catheters, breathing tubes and implants-a situation made more difficult by the fact that some bacteria form tough antibiotic-resistant films on such devices. University of Texas Health Science Center biomaterials researcher H. Ralph Rawls is developing a nontoxic polymer coating that slowly dissolves in bodily fluids. The coating could be applied to almost any object doctors put into the body. As the polymer dissolves layer by layer, it frees surface-attaching bacteria; this process prevents the formation of a bacterial film and makes the germs susceptible to therapeutic drugs and the immune system. The longer the expected contact between the instrument and the body, the thicker the polymer coating. This summer, Rawls plans to add another function to the polymer by incorporating drugs that encourage tissue repair; he hopes the material will be available clinically in three to five years.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.