A team of Rutgers scientists has discovered a novel delivery system for the delivery of antimicrobials. Teams of scientists led by Tewodros Asefa (Departments of Chemistry & Chemical Biology and Chemical & Biological Engineering) and Jeff Boyd (Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology) synthesized silica-based nanoparticles that contained an antimicrobial.
The particles were found to efficiently kill two human bacterial pathogens. Interestingly, the particles were more effective at killing than the antimicrobial possibly highlighting a more efficient process for drug delivery. Bacteria are rapidly evolving resistances to antibiotics and these findings could aid in the application of antimicrobial therapy to prevent bacterial infections or inhibit the growth of bacteria in unwanted locations. This study also opens the door to synthesizing new nan-particles containing alternate antimicrobials.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Read more at Rutgers Today.
