Preparation of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and the Evaluation of their Antibacterial Effects

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are currently emerging as a global issue. To address this problem, we have focused on development of antibacterial metallic nanoparticles, employing various mechanisms to eradicate bacterial cells. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are known for their excellent antibacterial capabilities.

As they're approved by the FDA, they're known to be biocompatible to the human body. The major advantage of our zinc oxide nanoparticle synthesis method lies in its simplicity and relatively short synthesizing time compared to other protocols, owing to its precipitation-based synthesis approach. This makes it a highly effective method, particularly for mass production from a commercialization perspective, and additionally, its chemical synthesis without the need for specialized equipment adds to its appeal as well.

Our research team plans to further develop antibacterial therapy using zinc oxide nanoparticles or inorganic nanoparticles, and integrate them with drug delivery for real-world applications. To achieve more effective bacteria-specific treatment, we will utilize antibodies and lectins for targeting bacteria, minimizing general cell toxicity of particles, and conducting research on delivering particles to pathogens in actual infection environments.