ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A US team is developing disinfectant compounds that could be used to destroy infectious bacteria, even drug-resistant strains.

And the team hopes to bring its most successful compounds to market - maybe even incorporating them into plastics to make antibacterial surfaces.

According to experts, bacteria have begun to develop resistance to commercially-available disinfectants more rapidly than new products can reach the market. Professor Kevin Minbiole and a team from the University of Villanova in Pennsylvania have now created more than 300 new compounds with promising results.

"We're following the Edison model of discovery," says Minbiole. "Lots of trial and error is teaching us which compounds are the most effective and the least toxic."

The team's compounds are said to be distinctive due to their application, shape and function. Many of the world's most widely-used sanitisers use quaternary ammonium compounds - or QACs - to 'burst' harmful bacteria cells.

Traditional disinfectant molecules have an arrow-like shape but Minbiole's experimental molecules resemble tridents. These are said to have a more potent structure that can potentially achieve the same or better results against harmful bacteria while using fewer active ingredients.

A spin-off company - NovaLyse BioSolutions - has now been launched in association with the team to move the technology to market. And to bring the project to the next level Minbiole has been working with chemists to develop a polymer surface that would incorporate the disinfectant compounds.

"The ability to have surfaces - such as in hospitals - incorporating our compounds would be amazing," said Minbiole.