Making antibacterial supermolecules

What do you get when you take some exciting molecules from the sea and rebuild them a bit, through some clever chemical processes in the lab? The answer: A germ killer of rank.

Manuel Langer and his colleagues have taken both molecules and inspiration from nature. They have refined a type of molecule called hydantoins, which we use in both shampoo and skin care products every single day.

These molecules have the curious property of being amphipathic. That means they are hydrophilic and like to interact with water. But at the same time, they are hydrophobic, which means that they are not very happy about it at all. And it is in this special combination where the magic lies.