Nanotechnology May Provide Effective Answer To Spread Of Food-Borne Pathogens

U.S. researchers have developed a nanotechnology that can be used to destroy harmful food-borne bacteria, including deadly Listeria. The technology, drawn from nature’s example, uses lytic enzymes, which are compounds that eat through infected bacteria cell walls to allow release of harmful viruses to attack other healthy bacteria. The researchers attached cell lytic enzymes to food-safe silica nanoparticles, creating a coating that selectively kills Listeria on contact. Listeria is  a dangerous food-borne pathogen that causes 500 deaths a year in the U.S. The lytic enzymes can also be attached to starch nanoparticles commonly used in food packaging.