Is mass commercialisation of silver-based nanotechnology undermining its biomedical antibacterial potential?

银纳米粒子具有广谱的抗菌潜力，并越来越多地应用于生物医学领域，以限制感染。它们也出现在越来越多的日常用品中，如洗发水和袜子。这种情况类似于以前将抗生素用于非医疗目的，以及随后抗生素耐药性细菌的传播。该项目将测量关键微生物群落中的银抗性选择压力。新的监测设备、多技术的化学方法以及相关的同步加速器光谱和分子生物学技术将被用来破译环境银阻抗器及其可能的意义。

Silver nanoparticles have demonstrated broad spectrum antibacterial potential and are increasingly used in biomedical applications to limit infection. They are also found in a growing range of everyday products such as shampoos and socks. This situation is analogous to the previous use of antibiotics for nonmedical purposes and the subsequent spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. This project will measure silver resistance selection pressure in key microbial communities. Novel monitoring devices, a multi-technique chemistry approach, and correlative synchrotron spectroscopy and molecular biology techniques will be used to decipher the environmental silver resistome and its likely significance.