Laser Treatment Turns Metal Surfaces into Bacteria Killers

A laser treatment method was developed that could potentially turn any metal surface into a rapid bacteria killer just by giving the metal’s surface a different texture. The technique allows the surface of copper to immediately kill off superbugs such as MRSA. Copper has been used as an antimicrobial material for centuries but it typically takes hours for native copper surfaces to kill off bacteria. The new one-step laser-texturing technique effectively enhances the bacteria-killing properties of copper’s surface.