Bibby Scientific has published details of the study, carried out at the University of Birmingham in a laboratory conducting research for Cancer Research UK, on its website. Bacterial surface contamination of six BioCote-treated Stuart instruments, such as hotplate stirrers and a mixer, was compared with untreated instruments in the same laboratory. All items included in the study had been in routine use for around 18 months. Swabs from touchpads, switches and casings were collected fortnightly for two months and Total Viable Counts (TVC) obtained after inoculation and incubation of plate count agar. Results were dramatic: there was a mean reduction in excess of 96 per cent in the TVC of bacteria contaminating the BioCote-treated equipment, compared with untreated control items in the same environment. Laboratory evidence suggests that BioCote technology, in the form of silver ions, disrupts the bacterial cell membrane function and causes denaturing of vital enzymes within the cell, leading to rapid cell death. Silver ions are slowly released from an inorganic matrix via an ion exchange mechanism, maintaining an effective concentration on or near the surface of the material.
BioCote kills a wide range of bacteria and fungi, including MRSA, E. coli, Legionella, Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus niger.
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