Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Develop New
Method To Kill Pathogenic Bacteria Without Antiobiotics or Chemicals
Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
have developed a new method to kill deadly pathogenic bacteria, including
listeria, in food handling and packaging. This innovation represents an
alternative to the use of antibiotics or chemical decontamination in food
supply systems.
Using nature as their inspiration, the researchers
successfully attached cell lytic enzymes to food-safe silica nanoparticles, and
created a coating with the demonstrated ability to selectively kill listeria—a
dangerous foodborne bacteria that causes an estimated 500 deaths every year in
the United States. The coating kills listeria on contact, even at high
concentrations, within a few minutes without affecting other bacteria. The lytic
enzymes can also be attached to starch nanoparticles commonly used in food
packaging.