Institut Charles Sadron News

A biofilm is a thin layer of organized bacteria that adheres to a surface and resists antibiotics. They are found in the form of deposits in pipes, slimy films on rocks or shells, plaque on our teeth, or in ulcers and diabetic foot wounds.

The chemists on the ARHES project are developing "smart dressings" for biofilms. To do this, they are creating an antibacterial coating based on polyarginine, a molecule capable of destroying bacteria, which they combine with vitamin E to help the skin heal faster. The action of these dressings is threefold: they eliminate pathogens, protect wounds from future infections, and promote healing. Unlike antibiotics, which can induce resistance in the bacteria they target, antibacterial coatings limit this risk. A promising approach to improving the treatment of hard-to-heal wounds.

Text and illustration funded by the National Research Agency (ANR) under the ANR ROXANNE2 research project (AAPG-PRC 2022) and the ANR AActus-III project, led by CNRS Alsace as part of the "Science with and for society" program.

Scientific contact: Fouzia BOULMEDAIS, Institut Charles Sadron — ICS (CNRS / Unistra)