Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
STEM

New antimicrobial webs developed by Syracuse University researchers sterilize medical implants for up to 14 days, reduce chance of infection

Tuesday, September 15, 2009, By News Staff
Share
Research and Creative

Treatment of hospital-related infections in the United States costs up to $11 billion a year, and about half of those infections are related to medical devices implanted in patients. Until now, efforts to control drug-resistant biofilms on such devices have been largely unsuccessful.

New hydrogel mats developed by collaborators Pat Mather and Dacheng Ren of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute (SBI) at Syracuse University present a solution. The new materials combine microbe-killing silver nitrate with the surprising qualities of a hybrid electrospun fiber web that extends anti-infection protection for up to 14 days. 

“We’re excited about what this innovation can mean to patients and care providers,” says Mather, the director of SBI and the Milton and Ann Stevenson Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University. “When we tested alternative materials, we saw biofilms forming on the first day despite the silver nitrate. However, our new nanoscale fibers demonstrate a unique ability to prolong the effect of the silver coating.”

This innovation could significantly reduce infection rates among patients who need vascular or urinary catheters or who require bandages, wound dressings or reconstructive oral and bone surgery. It could also relieve patients’ pain and reduce nursing costs.

In addition, when used in wound dressings, the electrospun web can prevent or reduce damage to the skin at the edges of wounds. This can be caused by lateral wicking, an undesirable side effect of many wound dressings.

The benefits of the antimicrobial webs are expected to be applicable in other biomedical uses. A provisional patent on the new technology has been filed, and research is continuing into other polymers and antimicrobial agents. Readily adjustable chemical structures make it possible to tune hydrogel ingredients in the search for other valuable physical properties.

This finding is described in a publication to appear in the journal Biomacromolecules (DOI: 10.1021/bm900620w) and available online at http://pubs.acs.org/.  

Along with their roles at SBI, both Mather and Ren, assistant professor, are on the faculty of SU’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS).

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • Snapshots From Route 66: One Student’s Journey to Newhouse LA
    Thursday, May 22, 2025, By Keith Kobland
  • Syracuse University 2025-26 Budget to Include Significant Expansion of Student Financial Aid
    Wednesday, May 21, 2025, By News Staff
  • Engaged Humanities Network Community Showcase Spotlights Collaborative Work
    Wednesday, May 21, 2025, By Dan Bernardi
  • Students Engaged in Research and Assessment
    Tuesday, May 20, 2025, By News Staff
  • Syracuse Views Summer 2025
    Monday, May 19, 2025, By News Staff

More In STEM

University’s Dynamic Sustainability Lab and Ireland’s BiOrbic Sign MOU to Advance Markets for the Biobased Economy

This month at the All Island Bioeconomy Summit held in Co. Meath, Ireland, it was announced that BiOrbic, Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy, comprising 12 leading Irish research universities in Ireland, signed a joint memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Dynamic Sustainability…

Professor Bing Dong Named as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The College of Engineering and Computer Science has named Bing Dong as the Traugott Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. This endowed professorship is made possible by a 1998 gift from the late Fritz Traugott H’98 and his wife, Frances….

Physics Professor Honored for Efforts to Improve Learning, Retention

The Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) has made some big changes lately. The department just added an astronomy major approved by New York State and recently overhauled the undergraduate curriculum to replace traditional labs with innovative…

ECS Team Takes First Place in American Society of Civil Engineers Competition

Civil and environmental engineering student teams participated in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sustainable Solutions and Steel Bridge competitions during the 2025 Upstate New York-Canada Student Symposium, winning first place in the Sustainable Solutions competition. The symposium was…

Chloe Britton Naime Committed to Advocating for Improved Outcomes for Neurodivergent Individuals

Chloe Britton Naime ’25 is about to complete a challenging and rare dual major program in both mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and neuroscience from the College of Arts and Sciences. Even more impressive? Britton…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.