Prize-winning nanoscale science aims to fight dental disease

Early applications of Meledandri’s science include silver nanoparticles to treat and prevent dental disease. Silver nanoparticles developed in her laboratory are being incorporated into a range of breakthrough products designed to fight dental caries and infection, through a start-up company she co-founded, Silventum Limited, and a technology licensing deal with a multinational dental company.

“In all cases with dental decay, the source of the problems is bacteria,” Meledandri said. “Our technology treats the bacterial source of the disease, without staining teeth. It’s particularly exciting because of the growing problems with resistance to antibiotics, which are the usual treatment for bacterial infections. Our nanoparticles have a completely different mechanism that doesn’t allow them to become resistant.”

With dental caries being one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world, Meledandri explained that the products being created through her science offer a new and more affordable solution.

A meeting with Dr Don Schwass from Otago’s Faculty of Dentistry led to a long-time partnership that Meledandri said is pivotal to the success of the dental technologies they have developed.

“Don had run his own practice for 20 years so he was all too familiar with dental diseases and the fact that most current treatments deal with the symptoms not the cause. It was having his practical knowledge feed into the research that has been critical to its success. I’m definitely happiest in the lab but I recognise that the science can’t go anywhere without spending time pursuing funding and establishing strong relationships with partners and investors,” she concluded.

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