Antimicrobial air filters

First purified by Sir Alexander Fleming, antibiotics are small molecules produced by several fungal and bacterial species that were extremely useful from the era of the World War II. However, due to our lack of understanding of microbial evolution coupled with indiscriminate prescription and consumption, its use was soon proved inadequate to contain bacterial infection. Resistance to multiple antibiotics (multidrug resistance) emerged rapidly given that bacterial species often form a complex community of both drug-resistant and sensitive strains with shared mechanisms of DNA exchange. As such, there is currently a pressing need to find novel approaches to combat their rise whereby no single method is preferentially used. Apart from specific drugs against the infection machinery of microbes, innovative, and cost-effective coating of hospital garments and air filters using antibacterial nanoparticles have been explored. In this chapter, we outline our own work into this area supplemented with in vitro data proving their effectiveness. As widespread use of these materials can only occur after prior conformation to international standards, a discussion on current standards and their adaptation is also provided.