RESULTS: A multipart polymer coating for the surface of a medical implant can prevent bacterial infection over time. Antibiotics released from the surface kill microbes in the short term, and an underlying antimicrobial polymer permanently bound to the surface prevents bacterial colonization over longer periods. When submerged in a solution of strep, a piece of silicon treated with the coating resisted the growth of bacteria as the drugs dissolved and, after they were gone, over a period of two weeks. WHY IT MATTERS: Infections resulting from joint-replacement surgeries are rare but can be deadly.
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