According to reports, a 14-year-old girl invented liquid Band-Aid and won the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist”.
The report pointed out that in the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Kara Fan defeated the remaining 9 finalists and won a prize of US$25,000 with the nanoparticle liquid bandage she developed.
It is reported that Fan began developing her liquid bandage in April 2019, using lemon leaves, silver nitrate and a water-soluble polymer to combat the overuse of antibiotics. When her spray-on bandage dries on a person’s skin, it forms a film that protects the wound while breaking down cell walls and killing bacteria on the skin.
Overuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotic-resistant infections, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 2 million people in the United States suffer from bacterial infections each year.
The United Nations reports that if left unchecked, such drug-resistant diseases or “superbugs” could kill 10 million people worldwide by 2050.
Using silver nitrate instead of copper acid to fight bacteria was the main reason why Fan won the prize.
