A urinary catheter is a device used to drain the bladder of a patient who is unable to urinate on their own. This device is very commonly used, but unfortunately as a result their use is highly associated with UTI occurrences inside and outside of hospitals. This occurs because bacteria can stick to the surface of these devices, but what if we could repel bacteria and keep them from sticking in the first place? Antifouling surfaces accomplish this through the use of a coating applied to the base material. One promising solution involves the use of zwitterionic materials, which repel bacteria through the formation of a layer of water, as bacteria do not like to stick to wet surfaces. One issue with this option is that zwitterionic molecules require very specific methods of chemical attachment, and most surfaces are not inherently compatible. Different materials require different methods of functionalization, but what if there was an option that worked on any surface? Inspired by adhesives used by marine mussels, polydopamine can stick to a wide variety of materials while serving as an attachment point for zwitterionic molecules. This combination holds the potential to help prevent infections associated not only with catheters, but any medical device or implant used within the body.
