LSBU to lead new £100k UK–Saudi project on antimicrobial surfaces
London South Bank University (LSBU) has secured £100,000 from the British Council to lead new UK–Saudi Arabia research focused on developing innovative antimicrobial surfaces inspired by nature.
Led by Professor Saurav Goel, Professor of Manufacturing in LSBU’s School of Engineering and Design, the project will examine how microscopic surface structures such as those found on dragonfly and cicada wings can be replicated to create surfaces that naturally inhibit or destroy bacteria.
These synthetic surfaces could help reduce the spread of harmful microbes without relying on chemicals and be applied to everything from mobile phone screens to hospital surgical equipment.
Funded through the UK government’s International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF), the project brings together academic and industry partners from the UK with multiple institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to combine research, training and knowledge exchange.
A new UK–KSA research partnership
As part of the project, LSBU will collaborate with King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah and Riyadh College of Technology, supporting the development of high‑quality research, training and education across both countries. The partnership places strong emphasis on inclusive education, research training and capacity‑building, particularly for underrepresented students and early‑career researchers.
Supported by various UK enterprises such as National Physical Laboratory, the NHS and others such as Emerson and Renwick, the project bolster opportunities to translate laboratory research into real-world surface designs that could be manufactured and used in real‑world settings.
Tackling a global challenge
Antimicrobial resistance and surface‑borne transmission of microbes remain major global public health challenges.
Professor Goel’s research focuses on micro‑ and nano‑scale surface structures that can disrupt bacteria without needing chemical treatments. This could reduce the environmental impact of the heavy chemical use currently required to clean high‑touch public surfaces, from transport systems to shared devicesProfessor Goel’s research group has published a paper in Acta Biomaterialia, one of the world’s top journals in materials science and biomedical engineering, which explores how different materials can be engineered to combat bacteria more effectively.
He said: “This project brings together international collaboration, advanced manufacturing and nature‑inspired design to address a pressing global challenge. By learning from natural surface structures, we can develop antimicrobial technologies that work without chemicals, offering a more sustainable approach to hygiene while also creating meaningful opportunities for research training and knowledge exchange between the UK and Saudi Arabia.”