Antibacterial bioactive glass doubles down on microbial resistance to antibiotics

They note that, “Scientists at Aston University in Birmingham have found a way to significantly increase the antimicrobial properties of a material used in many medical devices and clinical surfaces: bioactive glass.

“The Aston University team had already developed bacteria-killing bioactive glass laced with a single metal oxide of either zinc, cobalt or copper. Their latest research combined pairs of metal oxides in the material - and found that some combinations were more than 100 times better at killing bacteria than using single oxides alone.”

The news report explains, “Bioactive glass is made from high-purity chemicals designed to induce specific biological activity, but the type currently in clinical use – often as a bone filler – does not contain antimicrobial substances. The Aston University research showed that combinations of metal oxides can improve the antimicrobial properties of bioactive glass and the researchers believe this approach could be applied to other materials for clinical use.