Flea Protein Inspires Anti-Bacterial Breakthrough

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In a novel convergence of entomology and biomedical engineering, researchers in Australia have harnessed a surprising source of innovation: the flea.

A team at RMIT University in Melbourne has developed antibacterial surface coatings inspired by the unique protein resilin—found in flea leg joints—to fully block bacterial adhesion. This marks the first reported use of resilin-mimetic proteins (RMPs) to create antibacterial coatings with complete efficacy in preclinical testing.