This post is sponsored by IBM.
We've all heard about "superbugs"— strains of drug-resistant bacteria that plague hospitals, gyms, and schools. When antibiotics fail, the results can be deadly.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 2 million people in the U.S. acquire serious infections with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, and 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant infections. It's a worldwide problem: New forms of antibiotic resistance can cross international boundaries and spread between continents. The bugs just keep getting stronger.
The Superbug Solution
During chip development research, IBM identified sticky polymers — molecules composed of multiple repeated units that are 1,000 times smaller than a grain of sand — which they nicknamed "ninjas."
Now IBM has produced a new animated video, "Ninjas vs. Superbugs: Adventures in Nanomedicine," to show how these ninja polymers are fighting deadly bacteria like the staph infection known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA, one of the biggest health concerns of the 21st century, is difficult to treat. Nearly invincible, this type of staph is considered the supervillain of bacteria, killing 19,000 people a year.
Watch this video to see an epic showdown between ninjas and the bacteria supervillains:
As the video explains, ninja polymers are drawn like magnets to the bacteria's surface. They target infected cells in the body, destroy the harmful content inside, and then disappear by biodegrading. The best part? Ninjas don't hurt surrounding healthy cells, accumulate in the organs, or cause damaging side effects.
"The mechanism through which [these polymers] fight bacteria is very different from the way an antibiotic works," explains Jim Hedrick, a polymer chemist at IBM Research. "They try to mimic what the immune system does: the polymer attaches to the bacteria's membrane and facilitates destabilization of the membrane. It falls apart, everything falls out and there's little opportunity for it to develop resistance to these polymers."
Ninja polymers have a bright future: Scientists say that they could be used in everything from gels to special coatings to antibacterial wipes. They could even fight harmful cells like cancer.
Check out this infographic to learn more about ninjas and what they can do in the future.
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