Transcript Steelcase & Sharklet: A smooth solution to a

Steelcase & Sharklet:
A smooth solution to a dirty
problem!
Classroom furniture: Is it clean?
Research done at the University of Arizona
found that desk surfaces, computer keyboards,
and computer mouses ranked high in levels of
five bacteria:
– E. coli
– Klebsiella pneumonia
– Streptococcus
– Salmonella
– Staphylococcus aureus
CBS News, October 16, 2007, 10 Tips to Reduce Germs in the Classroom
[http://www.cbsnews.com/news/10-tips-to-reduce-germs-in-the-classroom/]
What’s the solution?
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Washing hands
Antibacterial cleaners/disinfectants
Avoiding touching common surfaces
Wear gloves/protective gear
Antibacterials
An antibacterial is an agent that interferes with the growth and reproduction of
bacteria.
Antibacterials are most commonly described as agents used to disinfect surfaces
and eliminate potentially harmful bacteria. Unlike antibiotics, they are not used as
medicines for humans or animals, but are found in products such as soaps,
detergents, health and skin care products as well as household cleaners.
I. Non residue producing : those who act rapidly to destroy bacteria and quickly
disappear by evaporation or break down like alcohols and peroxides.
II. Residue producing : compounds that leave long-acting residues on the surface
to be disinfected like triclosan, triclocarban(trichlorocarban) and benzalkonium.
OH
O
Cl
Cl
Cl
O
Cl
Cl
Triclosan
(2-hydroxydiphenyl ethers)
N
H
N
H
Trichlorocarban
Cl
EPA classification of public health antimicrobials
The EPA classification of public health antimicrobials is based on their
effectiveness in destroying microorganisms.
 Bacteriostats : inhibit bacterial growth
 Sanitizers : kill certain % of microorganisms in a given time span.
 Disinfectants: destroy or irreversibly inactivate all microorganisms
but not necessarily their spores.( Iodine, chlorine, phenol, Quats etc)
 Sterilizers : destroy all forms of bacteria, fungi and other
microorganisms and their spores.
Challenge
There is a demand in some settings for surfaces able to control
the growth of bacteria, but there is a competing concern around
the environmental and long-term human health effects of some of
the chemicals used for that application.
A new way
of thinking
about bacterial
control
What is Sharklet and
how does it work?
Denticles: Also known as scales, vary enormously in
size, shape, structure, and extent, ranging from
rigid armour plates in fishes such as shrimpfishes
and boxfishes, to microscopic or absent in fishes
such as eels and anglerfishes. The morphology of a
scale can be used to identify the species of fish it
came from.
http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/biomimicryshark-denticles
“Sharklet Technologies is proud to produce
products with the Sharklet pattern to help
make the world a healthier, environmentally
safer and better place. We’re equally honored
to offer a biomimetic technology inspired by
the shark which will allow humans and
microorganisms to coexist in a sustainable
and healthy way.”
Steelcase & Sharklet:
Desks that do not grow bacteria!
Biomimicry
Biomimicry is the science and art of emulating Nature’s best biological ideas
to solve human problems.
In biomimicry, we look at nature as model,
measure, and mentor.