Mycobacteria inactivation using Engineered Water Nanostructures (EWNS)

Mycobacteria are among the most resilient microbial forms, responsible for fatal infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. Here we present a novel, organic chemical-free, nanotechnology-based method to inactivate airborne and surface mycobacteria. This method is based on the transformation of water into engineered water nano-structures (EWNS) via electrospray. It was demonstrated that the EWNS have unique physico-chemical properties. They are highly mobile due to their nanoscale size and contain reactive oxygen species (ROS) encapsulated during the electrospray process. EWNS have the ability to interact with bacteria on surfaces and in the air and deliver ROS load to the bacteria resulting into inactivation.315