The following project has been awarded consumables funding by the AMR network:

'Polymeric Coatings for Easy-Clean Surfaces'

This project will develop easily applied coatings based on advanced polymer structures that make it very difficult for microbes to attach to and grow on surfaces. The coatings will be able to be deposited from simple sprays that can be incorporated into the standard cleaning routines used in healthcare environments. These sprays will contain invisible (nanoscale) assemblies of the polymer systems. On contact with surfaces these assemblies will spread out to form a layer one molecule thick on the surfaces that interfere with the way microbes bind to a surface. When wet (i.e. during washing) the layers will cause any accumulated material to come away from the surface.

This work brings together a multidisciplinary team from across Loughbrough University (Christie, Martin, Willcock) and the NHS (Dancer) with expertise in synthesis, advanced characterisation, and microbiology.

Project Lead: Simon Martin