Antimicrobials: Silver and copper bullets to kill bacteria

Dana Filoti of the University of New Hampshire will present thin films of silver and copper she has developed that can kill bacteria and may one day help to cut down on hospital infections. The antimicrobial properties of silver and copper have been known for centuries - last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officially registered copper alloys, allowing them to be marketed with the label 'kills 99.9% of bacteria within two hours.' Copper ions are known to penetrate bacteria and disrupt molecular pathways important for their survival...

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