Antibacterial coating kills bugs under ambient light

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Scientists at UCL have created an antibacterial coating that can kill MRSA and E. coli under low-intensity ambient light.

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Light-activated antibacterial coatings are nothing new, but photobactericidal activity generally requires UV light or intense white light in the region of 3,000 lux. The UCL team claims its research, published in Nature Communications, describes the first coating to demonstrate antibacterial properties under ambient light conditions of around 300 lux.

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“Other coatings have effectively killed bacteria but only after exposure to UV light, which is dangerous to humans, or very intense light sources, which aren’t very practical,” said senior author Professor Ivan Parkin, Dean of UCL Mathematical & Physical Sciences. “We are surprised to see just how effective our coating is in killing both S. aureus (MRSA) and E. coli in ambient light, making it promising for use in a variety of healthcare environments.”

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