Mechanisms of Antibacterial Activity of Kisameet Clay, A Natural Clay Mineral from British Columbia, Canada

The discovery and development of antimicrobials as therapeutic agents has transformed modern medicine. However, their further mass production, global distribution, and gross misapplication have resulted in escalating emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria worldwide. Given the limited arsenal of antimicrobials available to combat MDR bacteria, there is growing apprehension about the threat posed by “superbugs” and a pressing need for novel therapeutics. Natural clay minerals have a long history of therapeutic and biomedical applications and lately received increasing attention for their antimicrobial properties. Kisameet clay (KC), a naturally-occurring clay mineral, has been long known for its therapeutic properties. Recently, we demonstrated the potent and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities of KC against a variety of MDR bacterial and fungal pathogens have been described. The research described here may provide a better understanding of the principal components of KC antibacterial activity and create a basis to develop defined preparations of KC for therapeutic applications.

Faculty Supervisor:

Julian Davies;Michael Murphy

Student:

Shekooh Behroozian

Partner:

Kisameet Glacial Clay Inc.

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

University:

University of British Columbia

Program: