IBN and IBM discover new medical application for converted
PET bottles
Researchers at Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and
Nanotechnology (IBN) and California’s IBM Research – Almaden (IBM) have
discovered a new, potentially life-saving application for polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), which is widely used to make plastic bottles. They have
successfully converted PET into a non-toxic biocompatible material with
superior fungal killing properties. As reported in Nature Communications1,
their new material proved particularly effective in destroying drug-resistant
fungi and fungal biofilm, displaying great potential as an antifungal agent to
prevent and treat topical fungus-induced diseases such as skin infections and
keratitis.