Image: Hospital corridor in an operating room, people are recognizable; Copyright: panthermedia.net/vilevi

Special February 2019

Hygiene: coatings against microbes

They are everywhere: microbes. Many of them are useful. Others can make us sick. Especially in hospitals, old people's homes and medical practices, they can pose a danger through transmission. For example, when an immunocompromised patient comes into contact with MRSA. Special coatings could help. Find out more in our current Special.

Coating against hospital germs in the emergency room

Picture: a row of red metal chairs in a corridor, on the last one sees a person sitting blurred; Copyright: panthermedia.net/trybex

Emergency departments are often affected by dangerous microbes. To reduce the germ load in hospitals, the NE-Offensive joint research project aims to develop antimicrobial coatings that offer permanent surface protection. The University Hospital Regensburg is now testing one of these types of coatings.

Read the interview with Prof. Michael Nerlich here

Mean spikes fight microbes

Image: Graphic of the coating, through which cells are impaled; Copyright: Nano-Care Germany AG

Whether it’s toilet lids or medical exam tables: hospitals and medical offices have many surfaces that must be kept sanitary and clean at all times. A variety of cleaning products and coatings are effective ways to keep these settings clean. We spoke to Oliver Sonntag about his approach to get rid of the microbes.

Read the interview with Oliver Sonntag here