The combination shines a light on a new way to kill tough E. coli strains
By Prachi Patel, IEEE Spectrum
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a serious threat to public health. It contributed to an estimated 4.95 million deaths in 2019, and a recent review commissioned by the government of the United Kingdom warns that antimicrobial resistance could result in the deaths of 10 million people annually by 2050.
Zapping bacteria with two wavelengths of light—blue LED light and short-wavelength ultraviolet (also called far UV-C)—gives a powerful one-two punch that hampers a known multidrug-resistant strain of E. coli bacteria’s ability to grow and reproduce, scientists in New Zealand have found. In a new study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, the scientists report that the dual light treatment could be an effective nonchemical antimicrobial treatment that does not drive bacteria to further increase their antimicrobial resistance.
