GEOC 25

Geological nanomaterials have been used to heal skin infections since the earliest recorded history, and specific clay minerals may prove valuable in the treatment of bacterial diseases, including infections for which there are no effective antibiotics. We have previously shown that a specific iron-rich clay mineral has antibacterial activity against several Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and mycobacterial pathogens. We have continued to investigate the antimicrobial properties of clay minerals and have subjected more than 20 clay minerals to broth culture susceptibility testing of antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria to assess the feasibility of using clay minerals as therapeutic agents. Two specific minerals demonstrated bactericidal activity against pathogenic Escherichia coli, antibiotic-resistant E. coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Ongoing research is aimed at investigating the mechanism of action of these antibacterial minerals and understanding how these clays promote bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects.