The Cicada’s Wing – The Story Behind the Name
We are working with schools and nurseries, care homes, offices, and retail organisations, to add an extra level of antimicrobial protection to touch surfaces.
It is our aim to reduce infection transmission, reassure staff and customers and to make these environments safer.
Our best practice antimicrobial surface protection service is realised through the application of Liquid Guard® – award-winning German innovation product 2019.
The company name Cicada has an interesting story behind it inspired by a phenomenon of the natural world.
The Cicada insect
The antimicrobial surface protection is a revelation in the world of nanotechnology and draws similarities to the antibacterial properties of the wings of the Cicada insect.
Previously described simply as ‘waxy’, a groundbreaking study in Biophysical Journal in 2013 claimed that “the nano pattern on the surface of the Cicada’s wings, represents the first example of a new class of biomaterials that can kill bacteria, on contact based solely on their physical surface structure”.
The Cicada insects have self-cleaning properties and self-disinfecting properties – the super-hydrophobic nanostructure means the surface repels water and dirt whilst physically puncturing the cell wall of pathogens that make contact.
Why Cicada?
There is a significant potential benefit in developing nano materials combined with a chemical process, to create antimicrobial protection products for wide-spread use, to reduce infection transmission and counter the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance.
The application of nano materials to surface areas that are often touched provides protection in a variety of settings and can be applied to almost all surfaces.
The Liquid Guard technology behind Cicada Antimicrobial Surface Protection contains ammonium chloride nanoscale spikes that puncture the cell walls of microbes. Coated surfaces are positively charged, attracting the negatively charged microbes which are ruptured and killed.
The surface protection is long-lasting and continues to be effective for periods over 12 months.
In summary our product repels liquid and dirt and forms a protective antimicrobial layer to kill viruses, bacteria, moulds and fungi.
If you want reduce the risk of microbial transmission on surfaces in your workplace, trust the science behind our product.
If you would like to know more about how Cicada Antimicrobial Surface Protection can increase safety within your organisation, please call us on 01482 977677.
Image credit Egor Kamelev
