A Material Based on Sharkskin Stops Bacterial Breakouts

Scientists from a biotech based company named Sharklet Technologies have recently patented a material that mimics the skin pattern of sharks. Sharks have the remarkable ability to avoid parasites that commonly affect the skin of other salt water animals such as whales. While the skin of a whale is covered with an array of bacteria and barnacles, sharks have no such problems as a result of the texture of their skin. They have a unique diamond like pattern that prevents bacteria and larger organisms from attaching to the skin and proliferating. Bacteria fail to grow on this surface essentially because it is a very energy inefficient setting for a colony. Furthermore, there is little risk of bacteria forming any kind of resistance to the material since the material does not actually kill any bacteria, but rather inhibits their proliferation. This assumption is further supported by the fact that sharks have had skin like this without problems of bacteria for hundreds of millions of years now. Due to all of this, Sharklet Technologies have created a shark like material that is being progressively tested and implemented into some of the dirtier and medically important facets of our society. With many dangerous bacteria that are found in hospitals, such an innovation could greatly improve the cleanliness of the typical hospital.

I found this article particularly interesting since it addressed a common problem with a very simple and time proven solution. It also dealt with bioengineering in a very practical way and application. To me, this article reinforced the diversity of the biomedical engineering and the fact that many solutions are easy to find if we simply approach problems correctly and look in the right location. Although not as intensive a solution as many biomedical engineering innovations, the idea to make a material that mimics shark skin to slow the spread of bacteria is nevertheless an idea that could increase the efficiency and cleanliness of the hospital environment, and correspondingly save lives.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/saving-skin

Michael Kosh

VTPP 434