US researchers develop antimicrobials from mud

Scientists in the US are developing a new generation of low-cost antimicrobials, based on clay or mud, that can combat MRSA and other infections.

Unlike conventional antibiotics, which are often administered by injection or pills, the clay-based antimicrobials can be used as rub-on creams or ointments, according to researchers at Arizona State University in findings presented to the American Chemical Society.

In the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, the researchers collected clay samples from around the world and tested them against several different bacteria, including MRSA, E coli and salmonella. They identified at least three clays that killed or significantly reduced the growth of these bacteria.