Publication
Breakthrough coating banishes bacteria
The result of an exciting technological breakthrough, a radically innovative range of anti-microbial coatings is about to revolutionise the market. In this article, Peter Booth, of Becker Industrial Coatings UK, describes some of the opportunities created by this novel development.
Beckers has recently launched an innovative new range of products under the BeckryShield brand name in 2006. The result of intense collaboration between Beckers and Byotrol plc1), this breakthrough coating range unites Byotrol's anti-microbial technology with Beckers' internationally recognised expertise in paint chemistry.
There are many applications for this type of coating in a broad range of environments from healthcare and air conditioning systems to food preparation and storage. Compared to other currently available anti-microbial coatings, the BeckryShield coating offers several advantages.
One major advantage is Byotrol's very low toxicity levels, for humans and animals alike, compared to other anti-microbial technologies in the marketplace. Until now, the majority of coating additives for bacterial and microbial control have generally been formulated from heavy metal salts or organic compounds such as tributyl tin and chlorinated bi-phenyl (e.g. Triclosan), both of which are either toxic to the higher food chain or have environmental consequences. As well as its extremely low toxicity profile for higher life forms, Byotrol's product breaks down quickly into harmless constituents.
The ultimate biocide?
Despite this low toxicity, the technology is effective against a wide range of organisms including Legionella, E.coli and the hospital superbug MRSA. The combination of low toxicity and broad-spectrum efficacy is enough to make it a promising coatings additive, but add the fact that Byotrol's technology remains effective many months after application, and things start to get really interesting. Extensive testing has shown it to be incredibly effective at preventing build-up of mould and algae, as well as being suitable for reducing the spread of a wide range of bacteria.
Suddenly, Byotrol technology is starting to sound a bit like the Holy Grail of biocide additives. What has excited both investors and scientists even more, however, is that test results so far have indicated that organisms exposed to this biocide appear to develop no resistance. This is hot news for the healthcare and food industries, where the continual emergence of drug resistant strains poses a real and constant challenge to scientists.
Broad-spectrum potential
So what is this seemingly magic substance, how does it work, how was it discovered and — most importantly — how will it benefit Beckers' customers?
The story behind the development of Byotrol's products is a classic case of how a chance discovery can deliver a real scientific breakthrough of relevance to, and with applications for, many sectors, as well as the coatings industry.
As well as making an excellent coatings additive, Byotrol is suitable for use as a biocide in its own right. It is already being used in the fishing and food processing industries, and in nursing homes, to deliver spectacular reductions in bacteria levels. The company is currently conducting a large-scale clinical trial where its technology is being tested as a possible candidate to combat the spread of the MRSA super bug. Lab tests have already proved the product’s efficacy at
combating MRSA, and the hospital trial hopes to demonstrate the viability of the technology on a practical basis.
It all started in 2001, when paint company HMG established a research programme to develop new anti-microbial additives. The company had set itself the rather ambitious goal of developing the ultimate biocide additive, capable of addressing all the shortfalls of other products on the market at that time.
Business Development Director Stephen Falder, HMG Paints, the father of Byotrol technology, identified a wish list of characteristics for the ideal biocide:
- Low toxicity to humans and animals
- Low environmental impact and high level of biodegradability
- Effective against a broad spectrum of micro-organisms
- Easy to apply and use
- Chemically structured so it can be used as an additive brand across a broad range of applications
- Continues to work even after it has dried, post-application
- Effective against drug resistant strains of micro-organisms.
The technology the company developed represented a new application based on a combination of known substances, as opposed to the synthesis of a new compound. While it addressed a need in the coatings industry, it was clear that it had potential in a much broader market.
Exploiting surface tension
The company’s patented technology exploits the properties of high and low surface tension as exerted upon micro-organisms, combining a backbone polymer that is substantially hydrophobic with a group of preservatives, of which at least one is significantly hydrophilic, in a nonchemical association.
This alternation at the molecular level substantially disrupts existing biofilms (thin films on which bacteria form) and prevents re-establishment of new biofilm. The technology considerably magnifies the effect of the biocides used and, importantly, a range of differing biocide additives can be used, depending on the application.
It soon became clear that this new technology might well meet the criteria Falder and his team had established at the start of the project. Determined to substantiate what they had stumbled across, the team now embarked on a battery of
tests.
Tests were conducted by government and university laboratories in Britain, the USA, Sweden, Iceland and South Africa, all of which confirmed the product's efficacy. Numerous toxicological tests were undertaken in the US as part of an initial EPA label application, and testing produced highly encouraging data about safe use of the product.
An extensive programme was also launched to test treated end-user products, mostly in conjunction with prospective partners and under the scrutiny of third party laboratories.
To provide further confirmation of the product’s efficacy, a number of informal and highly visual tests were conducted, complementing the extensive formal test programme.
Best thing since sliced bread!
Confident that it had an extremely efficient new microbial-control product, the company needed to highlight its remarkable properties by achieving a major visual impact. This was considered especially important in terms of industrial applications, where knowledge of bacterial control is not always as advanced as it might be, compared to demanding environments such as healthcare and food processing.
Like all the best ideas, the solution was elegantly simple: sliced bread! Using several slices of bread, half were coated with Byotrol, the rest left untreated. The effects — as can be seen — were spectacular. The company then adopted the same technique to benchmark its technology, although this time the "control" bread was treated with conventional biocides. Once again, the results were impressive.
The first international patent was awarded in September 2004 and the UK patent in March 2005.
On completion of the test programme, Falder and his team recognised that HMG Paints was not the best business vehicle for the new technology. As an ingredient, the product had massive brand potential that extended far beyond the industrial coatings market where it had originated. This eventually led to a Byotrol listing on the AIM (Alternative Investment Market) in July 2005. Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength.
One key respect in which Byotrol differs from its competitors is the fact that the technology can be tuned for different markets and applications.
In its most basic form, it can be used as a disinfectant spray for use in healthcare and food-industry applications. A more sophisticated application involves a mist dispenser system for use in food processing plants and hospital operating
theatres. At the most advanced level, the company hopes to license the product for high-performance pharmaceutical applications, such as wound dressings.
First-to-market with a coating "first…"
The biggest barriers the company faces in its bid to roll the product out across a range of market sectors are legislation and compliance. Normally, a newly developed chemical compound must be subjected to an exhaustive,
costly and extensive test programme, prior to approval for use in a specific application.
Thanks to the fact that Byotrol technology exploits non-chemical bonding, however, it is well suited to today's regulatory environment, and regulators require significantly less data than for new compounds or chemicals. The technology can be tailored to specific regulatory or usage requirements (such as preferred biocides), or adapted to a climate where banned or restricted components are subject to scrutiny or public concern. The test regime need not be so stringent, and products can come to market more quickly.
This has enabled Beckers to capitalise on the new technology and bring it quickly to market to benefit its coating customers. Byotrol's characteristics make it suitable for a wide range of sectors where high performance is critical.
Stephen Falder is bullish about the prospects: "We believe that working in partnership with Beckers will benefit both companies, as well as Beckers' customers, and I'm delighted this project has culminated in a new set of products being
launched."
1) A young anti-microbial coating company, formerly part of HMG Paints, Byotrol plc was introduced on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market in July 2005.
Released: September 2006