Technology Developed at Auburn University Could
Fight Staph Infections, HIV
By: David Granger
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: S.D. Worley
334-844-6980
MARCH 27, 2000
(Auburn, Washington) — An Auburn University researcher
has developed a biocidal technology with the potential for far-reaching
impacts in rubber materials used in the medical field and such
items as condoms, baby-bottle nipples and pacifiers.
The work
of S.D. Worley, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, has
led to the development of a substance -- N-halamine -- that binds
to rubbers containing styrene. It kills bacteria, viruses, protozoa,
fungi and other dangerous microbials -- including human immunodeficiency
virus, or HIV -- on contact.
Worley unveiled the new technology
Monday in San Francisco in a presentation to a meeting of the
American Chemical Society.
N-halamines are organic ring-type compounds
that contain nitrogen atoms bonded to chlorine or bromine, said
Worley. The chlorine in the compounds kills the microbials.
"This technology can work with any rubber that contains styrene blocks," he
said. "Basically, we can modify the styrene portion of the rubber to make a
new biocidal material."
Worley said the new technology could be used in surgical
gloves and other medical materials made from rubber to fight the spread of hospital
infections such as what is commonly known as staph infection (Staphylococcus aureus).
Although
the technology has not been tested with the HIV virus, he says it would kill the
virus on contact as it does others, making possible beneficial applications in the
manufacture of condoms.
"I don't know if condoms being produced now contain the
styrene component necessary to make this technology work, but I'm sure that they
could," said Worley. "We
would hope that if the manufacturing process needs to be changed to incorporate styrene
and accommodate this technology then there would be a manufacturer willing to do
that based on the potential benefits."
And Worley said the technology could be
used in the rubber for pacifiers and baby-bottle nipples.
"Mothers talk about
baby's swapping pacifiers or dropping them on dirty floors," he
said. "Use of this technology would prevent the possibility of diseases being
spread by those types of things and would keep mothers from having to rinse them
off every time they're dropped."
Although antimicrobial coatings in liquid and
powder form have existed for years, Worley's technology is unique in that it is incorporated
into the structure of the rubber. While it will lose its strength once the chlorine
atoms have been exhausted, it can be recharged simply by exposing the rubber to bleach.
Worley
began his research with N-halamines at Auburn in the 1980s. He first worked with
the compounds in a soluble state with an eye on producing biocides for swimming pools
and hot tubs. He started his research on solid N-halamines in the 1990s and has already
developed a polymer that can be used in water filters to kill bacteria.
Seattle-based Halosource Corp., is very close to commercial release of the water
filter technology he developed.
Worley has filed for a patent on the new technology
and AU will hold the rights to the patent. He said it is likely that Halosource,
which has helped fund his research for several years, would license
the technology and work to develop its applications, which could
reach consumers within the next few years.
