ReSist - Tailored innovations for lower emissions and reduced risks for development of bacterial resistance

Purpose and goal:

Encapsulation technology has been evaluated for two applications; anti-fouling in marine aquaculture and wound care in MedTech, to meet the global overuse of biocides and antimicrobial substances which in turn lead to environmental pollution and resistance issues. The consortium has been able to demonstrate that through a controlled and extended release, both the antifouling and the antimicrobial effect can be maintained for a longer period of time with a reduced amount of released biocide/antimicrobial peptide.

Expected results and effects:

The developed sustained release technologies lead to new improved products with reduced release, improved longevity and antimicrobial effect for both the marine and medical applications. This is expected to lead to a reduced biocide leakage into the environment and thus a reduced pressure on both aquatic and land-based ecosystems. By involving additional actors in new sectors, the technology can contribute to reduced emissions in new application areas.

Approach and implementation:

A portfolio of formulation systems with tailored release rates has been developed and evaluated in laboratory experiments, field tests, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity in close collaboration between the project´s partners. In the project´s system perspective, the greatest focus has been on regulations, as these are the most challenging. This has involved both monitoring - of the BPR for the marine and MDR for the MedTech application - as well as the collection of data for product registration and patenting.