Students Use Shampoo to Make Self-Sterilizing Paint

Alan Dove, who holds a doctorate in microbiology, sent notice of an intriguing presentation by 10 students from New York, Texas and Virginia, three World War II veterans and a retired railroader from Virginia at the 105th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

The subject of the presentation was the transformation of paints and varnishes into antibiotic surfaces by mixing them with various compounds, including cetavlon, a common ingredient of commercial shampoo. The project was coordinated by retired microbiologist Dr. Carl Vermeulen through his science projects web site. In a press release from the American Society for Microbiology, Vermeulen summarized the project's objective:

"Public buildings and especially schools are at the center of the epidemiological web for spreading common upper respiratory diseases that cost the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars annually in lost productivity. While it has long been known that our coinage possesses the quality of being self-sterilizing, little previous thought has been given to making frequently handled surfaces such as railings, doorknobs, push-plates, desktops, and faucet handles in public buildings similarly self-sterilizing through the addition of rapidly effective agents."

Dr. Vermeulen's web site suggests ideas and invites students and others to collaborate with one another to develop them. Seems like his science projects web site is well worth watching.

Forrest M. Mims III