Abstract: The invention provides a method for inhibiting bacterial attachment to a surface, the method comprising forming the surface from a polymer, or applying a polymer to the surface, wherein the polymer is a homopolymer formed from a (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomer or a copolymer formed from one or more (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers, wherein the (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers are of formula (I) or (II): [H2C?CR?—C(=0)-0-]n, R (I) [H2C?CR?—C(=0)-NH—]n R (II) wherein n is 1, 2 or 3, R? is independently H or CH3, R is an organic group having a total of from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein the organic group includes an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and wherein the organic group does not include any hydroxyl groups.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for inhibiting bacterial attachment to a surface, the method comprising forming the surface from a polymer, or applying a polymer to the surface, wherein the polymer is a homopolymer formed from a (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomer or a copolymer formed from one or more (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers, wherein the (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers are of formula (I) or (II): [H2C?CR?—C(?O)—O—]nR??(I) [H2C?CR?—C(?O)—NH—]nR??(II) wherein n is 1, 2 or 3, R? is independently H or CH3, R is an organic group having a total of from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein the organic group includes an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and wherein the organic group does not include any hydroxyl groups.

Abstract: The invention provides a substrate for cell culture comprising a polymer, wherein the polymer comprises —a homopolymer formed from a monomer of formula (Ia) or (Ib); —a copolymer formed from one or more monomers of formula (Ia) and/or (Ib); or —a copolymer formed from one or more monomers of formula (Ia) and/or (Ib), and comprising HEMA; wherein formula (Ia) comprises: (Formula (Ia)) wherein R1 is a C8-C12 straight or branched chain alkyl or alkenyl group, for example a C8-C10 straight or branched chain alkyl group, which may optionally be substituted; and R2 is selected from H and C1-4 alkyl; and wherein formula (Ib) comprises: (Formula (Ib)) wherein R3 is a 6-12 membered ring, for example a 6-8 membered ring, which is a cycloalkyl, cycloheteroalkyl, aryl or heteroaryl group, and which may optionally be substituted; L is a divalent linker group selected from —NH—, —CH2—, and —O—; R4 is a C1-8 organic group, for example a C1-C6 organic group, wherein this group comprises at least one moiety selected from C?O,

Abstract: The invention provides a method for inhibiting bacterial attachment to a surface, the method comprising forming the surface from a polymer, or applying a polymer to the surface, wherein the polymer is a homopolymer formed from a (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomer or a copolymer formed from one or more (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers, wherein the (meth) acrylate or (meth) acrylamide monomers are of formula (I) or (II): [H2C?CR?—C(?O)—O—]nR??(I) [H2C?CR?—C(?O)—NH—]nR??(II) wherein n is 1, 2 or 3, R? is independently H or CH3, R is an organic group having a total of from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, wherein the organic group includes an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon moiety and wherein the organic group does not include any hydroxyl groups.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of screening arrays of polymers having pre-determined surface energies. The polymer arrays of the present invention can be used to screen for microorganism adherence. More specifically the arrays can be used to screen for adherence of particular bacteria or fungi to particular polymers in the array. Furthermore, this invention relates to a method combining in-situ polymer synthesis with physico-chemical characterisation of the resulting polymer array and subsequent biological assays of bacterial or fungal adherence. This allows for high throughput screening and characterisation of candidate polymers which are not susceptible to bacterial or fungal adherence or which can be used to support bacterial or fungal adherence where such is required. The arrays can also be used to screen for inhibition or promotion of biofilm formation.

Abstract: A polymer blend for use in a biomedical application comprising: (A) a polymer A, bearing zwitterionic pendant groups; and (B) a hydrophobic addition polymer B, selected from the group consisting silyl(alk)acrylates, alkyl(alk)acrylamides, dialkyl(alk)acrylamides, and alkyl(alk)acrylate polymers, wherein the structure of the blend exhibits phase separation forming a micro-phase segregated structure at a surface. Articles, methods of production and liquid blend compositions are also disclosed. Preferably A is a copolymer of 15 to 30 mole % 2-methacryloyloxyethy1-2-trimethylammonium ethyl phosphate inner salt and 85 to 70 mole % of a C6-18 alkyl methacrylate, and B is a homopolymer of a C4-18 alkyl(meth)acrylate, blended in weight proportions of 1:1 to 1:50.