Patron: Prof. dr hab. inż. Grażyna Adamus

Realization period: 01.04.2022 - 30.11.2022

Antibacterial agents play an important role in wound dressing applications by protecting the wounds from pathogens/microorganisms and thereby overcome challenges posed by the emergence of antibacterial-resistant pathogens. The best wound dressing material accelerates the recovery with minimal scarring and maximum antibiotic function. Although advanced science and technology have produced breakthroughs in medical device technologies that allow clinicians to image, diagnose and treat a wide range of diseases like never before. However, such technologies come with a heavy price tag. As a result, the increasing cost of health care and treatments are disproportionately affecting the economically disadvantaged society around the world. It is expected that the global wound care expenditure reaches £24 Billion by 2026. To meet this global challenge, scientists are on a constant quest for the development of biomaterials with antibacterial properties and minimize the use of conventional antibiotics. The proposed work demonstrates the preparation of novel and biocompatible antibacterial nanocomposite (ANC) hydrogel patches from biopolymers. Antibacterial properties of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) are well known from ancient times. Further, smaller size of MNPs displayed better antibacterial activity compared to the bulk. Different biopolymers are used to prepare MNPs of desired shape and size without using hazardous chemicals.