Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: Scientists have found an exciting new way to fight a big problem called bacterial biofilms. Biofilms are made up of billions of bacteria living inside a sticky substance, a bit like a slime monster. Within biofilms, bacteria are protected from medical treatments and the human immune system. To make matters worse, biofilms are an ideal place for the emergence of new forms of bacteria with improved defenses, which are often called superbugs. Biofilms and superbugs make people very sick, and they are increasingly more difficult to treat. However, scientists may have come up with a new solution—a special liquid metal that can change shape with the help of magnets. It turns into tiny ninja-stars and spears that can pierce through the cell walls of bacteria. When this special liquid metal is exposed to a rotating magnet, the tiny stars whizz around like a whirlwind, destroying bacterial biofilm and killing the superbugs inside.
Source: Frontiers for Young Minds
Institution: Flinders University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4402806038