There is an increasing resistance of humans to antibiotics worldwide, and research is on to counter that by developing modern medical textiles that are good for both the environment and human health.
THE RESEARCH: A doctoral thesis by Tuser Biswas from the University of Boras, Faculty of Textiles, Engineering and Business, on Enzyme Printed Fabrics: Bio-functionalisation of Synthetic Textiles by Digital Inkjet Printing explores the possibilities of printing enzymes using resource-efficient technologies to promote the binding of other proteins and biomaterials on synthetic textiles.
- This strategy can be used to develop advanced textiles for applications, for example, in antimicrobial, drug delivery and biosensing.
- Digital inkjet printing was combined with enzyme technology to ensure minimum use of water, chemicals and energy in textile manufacturing processes.
- Continued research in textile technology will hopefully provide alternatives to using antibiotics.
- Instead of treating the patient with a course of antibiotics, one can act preventively and more effectively by damaging the bacteria on the surface where they start to grow. In a wound dressing, for example. Nanoparticle-based antimicrobials can reduce growth effectively. It is possible as nanoparticles can interact better with the bacterial membrane and reach the target more easily than conventional antimicrobials.
THE TECHNOLOGY: The research of fabrics after several experiments showed inhibition of bacterial growth and retained almost half of its initial activity when cold stored for a month.
- These are proteins that function as catalysts in the body, as they set chemical processes in motion without themselves changing. They could, for example, be used in medical textiles with antimicrobial properties or to measure biological or chemical reactions.
- The most important result was to show how a printed enzyme could bind another enzyme to the surface of a fabric.
- Although the activity of the enzymes decreased by 20%–30% after printing, the results are still promising for future applications. At the same time, the work has provided new knowledge about many fundamental questions about printing biomaterials on fabric.
- It is possible to print enzymes on textiles.
FUNDING: Funding is critical to continue researching the subject and it has so far received a grant from the Sjuhärad Savings Bank Foundation.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Ever since the industrial revolution, our society has used an abundance of synthetic and harsh chemicals. Our research works to replace these chemicals with environmentally friendly and bio-based materials. Before starting the project, we found several related studies that focused on producing a finished product. But we wanted to study the fundamental challenges of this subject, and now we know how to make it work.
— Tuser Biswas
Faculty of Textiles, Engineering & Business
University of Borås
