The challenge to maintain a sterile environment and protect patients in a clinical setting has grown in the recent years, due to the exposure of microorganisms. The discovery of the antimicrobial surfaces in previous research has shown a minimized growth in microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Challenges still arise in creating surfaces because of the difficulty to industrialize, the non-uniformity throughout the surface, and the activity of the antimicrobial agent being washed off. Our work involves the utilization of agar to incorporate and fuse with plant essentials oils in varying concentrations. Agar is a polymer that is composed of subunits from the sugar, galactose. Agar surfaces are not degraded or eaten by bacteria and also serves as a firmer and stronger surface compared to other surfaces attempted in previous research such as Gelatin b. Agar as a gel is porous and can be used to measure microorganism motility and mobility. The gel's porosity is directly related to the concentration of agarose in the medium resulting in various levels of effective viscosity. The agar surfaces are infused with antimicrobial oils such as: Propolis, Neem Seed Oil, Black Elderberry, Yarrow, Tamanu, Rosehip, Ginger, Sage, Argan, Guava Seed, Myrrh, Frankincense, and Neroli. All surfaces have been tested against the gram positive bacteria strain <i>S. aureus</i>. Results have shown that majority of the essential oils utilized in research have efficient antimicrobial effects.<br/>

Infusion of native oils to synthesize novel antimicrobial aurfaces

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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