Researchers have developed a new nanogel technology that targets and destroys drug-resistant bacteria in a matter of hours. The approach uses heteromultivalent nanogels, which are flexible particles made by crosslinking polymers and incorporating sugar residues such as galactose and fucose, along with antimicrobial peptides.
These sugars allow the nanogel to bind to specific proteins on bacterial surfaces, directing it precisely to its target. Once attached, the antimicrobial peptides disrupt the bacterial membrane, causing rapid death of the bacteria without damaging nearby healthy cells.
Laboratory testing demonstrated that more than 99.99% of free-floating Pseudomonas aeruginosa were eliminated using this method. In addition, over 99.9% of biofilm-coated Pseudomonas aeruginosa—bacteria protected within tough biofilms—were inactivated within 12 hours. The technology also showed effectiveness against other significant threats such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
According to Dr Sumati Bhatia, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Swansea University and main corresponding author of the study: “Leading this research, alongside our international partners, has been incredibly rewarding. It opens a new direction for using glycan-based polymer systems as a therapeutic strategy against pathogenic bacteria and could lay the foundation for a new class of antibacterial therapies against contagious bacterial infections."
The project was carried out through collaboration between Dr Bhatia at Swansea University and researchers from Freie Universität Berlin, combining expertise across glycochemistry, polymer sciences, and nanotechnology. Funding support from the German Science Foundation has enabled Dr Bhatia to continue her work at Swansea University.