AntimicrObial stainless-steel suRfacEs Grafted with ArylbeNzothiazole structures for fOod industry – OREGANO

The food industry faces the major challenge of guaranteeing optimal surface hygiene while improving operational efficiency. The OREGANO project aims to develop innovative metallic surfaces with a dual antimicrobial effect. This effect will be achieved through the covalent grafting of arylbenzothiazole derivatives possessing biocidal properties, and by implementing surface microstructuring to prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms. The synergy between these two effects is strategically significant in combating the early-stage development of bacterial biofilms. Importantly, this surface treatment is permanent, does not result in the release of active compounds and requires only a minimal quantity of molecules.
The development of these new surfaces could help mitigate the risk of food contamination during industrial production, ensuring health safety standards. Furthermore, it will reduce the frequency and duration of cleaning and disinfection cycles, thereby enhancing productivity and countering the emergence of resistant pathogens.
The OREGANO project is structured into four key parts. Firstly, various functionalized arylbenzothiazoles will be synthesized using eco-friendly chemical methods. Special care will then be taken to evaluate their antimicrobial properties, as well as to study their toxicity, using in vitro and in silico approaches, without animal experimentation. Subsequently, covalent grafting onto stainless steel will be performed using electrochemical processes, with a focus on controlling the critical microstructuring for generating anti-adhesive properties. Finally, the project will demonstrate the stability of the grafting during accelerated aging, along with the biocidal and anti-bioadhesion efficacy of these innovative surfaces, thus ensuring health safety, sustained antimicrobial effectiveness, and long-term resistance.