A new dressing made from plant-based materials can deliver antibiotics directly to wounds during critical early stages of infection, according to researchers from the University of Bath. The team from the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Chemistry has created a novel, two-sided dressing from sustainable polymers, a plastic-like material sourced from plants, not petrochemicals. A two-sided materialUnlike many advanced wound dressings that rely on petroleum-based plastics or additional chemical treatments, this dressing is made simply from two plant-based layers which have different properties. The study demonstrates how plant-based materials previously developed for sustainable plastics and packaging applications could be adapted for advanced healthcare technologies. While further development and testing will be needed before any clinical use, the findings highlight the potential for more sustainable wound care technologies without compromising on performance.