A team from the University of Gdańsk and specialists from China have developed a novel approach to fighting multidrug-resistant bacteria.
According to the scientists, in Europe there are 4.5 million hospital infections every year. Bacteria with a wide spectrum of resistance to drugs are a growing threat – it is difficult to find an effective antibiotic to fight them.
A particular problem are the ESKAPE pathogens that escape both drugs and defensive forces of the body.
That is why many teams around the world are looking for new methods to fight such microorganisms.
Specialists from the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdansk in collaboration with experts from the Tianjin University in China described the approach based on the photodynamic method.
Writing their findings in the prestigious Chemical Engineering Journal, the team said the process involves an administration of a special compound that sensitises bacteria to light, which is then used to destroy dangerous microbes.
The Polish team participated in the development of the research concept, verification of the effectiveness of the new method, analysis of results and preparation of publications. The work of the Polish team was supervised by Dr. Mariusz Grinholc, a professor at the University of Gdańsk.
Keep up with Polish scientists’ successes on the University’s official Facebook page: