Synthetic enzyme wipes out tough bacterial biofilms

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been combined with cerium compounds to create a nanozyme capable of eradicating bacterial biofilms. The approach was successful in in vivo tests, and could be an alternative to antibiotics.

Biofilms consist of highly organised bacterial communities, bound together by a matrix of biological compounds. They build up on surfaces and encase bacterial cells, protecting them. As a result, biofilms make bacteria significantly more difficult to kill and more dangerous to patients – roughly 80% of human bacterial infections involve biofilms.