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Is Laser-Textured Metal the Next Big Thing?

copper nugget
Copper Nugget
In a world fueled by technology and science, it’s only about time groundbreaking discoveries are made. This is it.

Science has always been a keen believer in borrowing from the past to propel the future. It’s always been of interest to us in creating ways to make the world a safer and better place. 

The findings on how to fight bacteria are revolutionary and could limit the spread of many such pathogens who live on surfaces for days to find their next prey.

What has been happening until now?

Ever since the early age’s humans have been finding ways to discover surfaces that inhibit the growth of viruses and Copper is one such material which has passed the course of time.

Copper’s antimicrobial properties have made it a prominent candidate for storing food and water, especially in India. 

The surface of copper is conductive to electricity and in the case of a microbe touching its surface, electrons are carried away from the microbe’s membrane, ultimately resulting in the destruction of the organism.

What is the proposed way? 

To enhance the antimicrobial properties of copper was hit with laser for a couple of milliseconds which resulted in nano-scale pores on the surface of the metal ultimately increasing the surface area.

This increases the probability of the bacteria hitting its surface and rupturing. The rugged surface of the metal clings better to water and thus increases the chance of killing any bacteria present in it.

                                                                          Treating metal surface

What have been the observations?

Several bacterial strains such as the Escherichia coli and a drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain were tested on both treated and untreated surfaces and the findings were listed as :

  • The strains on hitting the laser-hit surface were immediately showing signs of membrane damage; eradicating the bacteria much quicker than the untreated surface.
  • Some microbes were immediately killed while colonies of bacteria took anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours depending upon strain and their concentration.

What is next for the discovery?

The application of this technique can have far-fetching effects such as:

  • Reduction of bacterial growth and biofilm formation on orthopedic implants which in turn reduces the need to give antibiotics to kill bacteria from the implant surface.
  • The rugged texture results in a hydrophilic surface, which in the case of the orthopedic implant results in improved integration with the bone.
  • There is no application of coating making them environment friendly.

Our Take on This

I feel that this can be a game-changer because of the ease of integration onto the current products without driving up costs.

Bibliography:

Scientific American

Wiley Online Library

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