Scientists have developed a new class of light-responsive metal-based antibiotics that can fight biofilm-forming harmful bacteria and accelerate wound healing1.
This opens possibilities for treating infected wounds, particularly those involving antibiotic-resistant bacteria and persistent biofilms, says a research team at the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) in Varanasi.
Many bacteria wrap themselves in a slimy matrix called biofilm that shields the microbes and makes infections difficult to eliminate. To overcome this, the scientists, led by Sudip Mukherjee and Samya Banerjee, synthesised three osmium-based complexes, named Os1, Os2 and Os3. These compounds were designed to absorb visible green light and emit energy that can check the growth of bacteria.
The researchers tested the compounds against three pathogenic bacterial species: Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are widely used to probe bacterial infections and antibacterial treatments.
The compounds inhibited bacterial growth by generating reactive oxygen species. Among the three compounds, Os1 emerged as the most promising candidate, demonstrating potent light-activated antibi...