'Crabby' compound that skewers bacteria could prevent medical implant infections

Biofilms, slimy layers of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria (above) and other harmful microbes that form on catheters and other implantable medical devices, are considered the leading cause of bacterial infections in the United States. Coating these devices with chitosan, a medicinal compound derived from crabs and shrimp, could prevent thousands of infections each year, according to new research presented at the 232nd American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Francisco. Photo courtesy of Ross Carlson and Betsey Pitts, Montana State University – Bozeman