Friday, 31.10.2008
UL leads fight against superbug

THE University of Limerick (UL) is to lead a huge European research initiative to fight the deadly MRSA hospital bug. The university has been given a €5 million grant to develop textiles which will be MRSA-resistant. <br /><br /> The textiles, which will be used for hospital gowns and bedding, will be able to kill bacteria and be self-sterilising. <br /><br /> Project partners include nine other European agencies, along with NUI Galway and Irish companies BeoCare and Cook Medical. <br /><br /> Project leader Dr Tofail Syed said: "The spread of drug-resistant germs such as MRSA is a major public health concern. <br /><br /> "Hospital sterility has been a major concern in countries like Ireland, Germany and Belgium. We intend to develop nanotechnology-derived textiles that will help hospitals in their fight against MRSA." <br /><br />One in 10 patients entering a European hospital will develop an infection caused by drug-resistant microbes such as MRSA. <br /><br /> MRSA-resistant textile is one of the four major health issues that the UL-led consortium will address in the three-year research programme. <br /><br /> Dr Edmond Magner, director of UL-based Materials and Surface Science Institute said Ireland was at the forefront of European activity in developing solutions to healthcare-related problems. "The awarding of the contract to UL is a testament of Ireland's role as a leading research and development centre for the biomedical sector," he said.