Technology Opportunities

Simple heterocycles to inhibit fungi and bacterial biofilm formation

Highlights

• Simple heterocyclic compounds disrupt cell–cell communication (quorum sensing) interfering with the formation of biofilms
• First compounds to exhibit cross kingdom inhibition and reversal of biofilms
• Environmentally friendly method to control the formation of biofilms on artificial surfaces such as water pipes or air-conditioning ducts in industry and agriculture
• Non-leaching polymer coatings

Our Innovation

• Novel simple heterocyclic compounds, synthesized to resemble the structure of the natural auto inducer-2, are used as polymer coatings for water pipes, membranes, food packaging and other surfaces to disrupt quorum sensing between bacterial cells and prevent the formation of biofilms.

Key Features

• No antibacterial or antifungal effect, avoids development of resistant strains
• Environmentally safe – non-leaching coating
• Effective against both fungal and bacterial biofilms
• Inhibit and reverse biofilm formation

Development Milestones

• Additional compounds to be synthesized
• Additional field trials in agricultural, municipal and industrial water pipes, homes and hospitals

The Opportunity

• Biofilm-related problems cost U.S. industry billions of dollars annually by corroding pipes, reducing heat transfer or hydraulic pressure in industrial cooling systems, plugging water injection jets, and clogging water filters.
• Applications include industrial water treatment, prevention of biofilm formation on filtration membranes, paints and coatings, irrigation pipelines, paper-making machines, food packaging
• Cost of desalination and water recycling processes reduced by lowering energy consumption