Researchers are testing whether a simple light-emitting diode (LED) array can be used to inactivate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
The photosensitizer, which has been developed at Purdue University in the US is called Ga-PpIX, and is an analog of heme.
Ana Morales-de-Echegaray, the lead graduate research assistant on the project, discovered that Ga-PpIX could be consumed by MRSA strains within seconds, leading to their rapid inactivation using a simple LED array that is safe to use on human skin.
A paper, Rapid Uptake and Photodynamic Inactivation of Staphylococci by Ga(III)-Protoporphyrin IX, has been published on the work. The technology is patented through Purdue Office of Technology Commercialisation, and the researchers are looking for partners to continue developing practical applications for the discovery.
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