UL leads fight against superbug
The university has been given a €5 million grant to develop textiles which will be MRSA-resistant.
The textiles, which will be used for hospital gowns and bedding, will be able to kill bacteria and be self-sterilising.
Project partners include nine other European agencies, along with NUI Galway and Irish companies BeoCare and Cook Medical.
Project leader Dr Tofail Syed said: “The spread of drug-resistant germs such as MRSA is a major public health concern.
“Hospital sterility has been a major concern in countries like Ireland, Germany and Belgium. We intend to develop nanotechnology-derived textiles that will help hospitals in their fight against MRSA.”
One in 10 patients entering a European hospital will develop an infection caused by drug-resistant microbes such as MRSA.
MRSA-resistant textile is one of the four major health issues that the UL-led consortium will address in the three-year research programme.
Dr Edmond Magner, director of UL-based Materials and Surface Science Institute said Ireland was at the forefront of European activity in developing solutions to healthcare-related problems. “The awarding of the contract to UL is a testament of Ireland’s role as a leading research and development centre for the biomedical sector,” he said.
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