South Korea has developed a fabric that is superbug resistant by using pigment from bacteria. This anti-bacterial fabric was developed using a natural bacterial pigment called Violacein, a violet pigment naturally made by bacteria found in nature, and is reported to have antibacterial, antiviral, antiprotozoal and anticancer effects.

Violacein, an indole derivative, is a violet pigment made by naturally occurring bacteria such as those belonging to the genus chromobacterium. Violacein has been reported to have antimicrobial and antiparasital properties in microbiology literature.

The bacterial pigment was coated to the fabric. The coated fabrics inhibit the growth of super bugs by 99.9 per cent. The work could be first of its kind to effectively utilise bacterial pigment as a coating agent on fabrics to impart antimicrobial properties.

The Korean team has developed prototype face masks and they are currently being put to use in a local hospital. This widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the ongoing and ever-increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria also known as superbugs. Every year lakhs of patients die from a drug-resistant superbug.

This is the first case where an antibacterial fabric was produced using violacein. This fabric has the possibility to reduce the impact of super-bacterial infections.