Chemical hygiene guards at European Researchers’ Night

At the European Researchers’ Night, held on 25 September 2026 at the university campus in Split, the CHEM group of the bioFIDE project presented the interactive activity “Chemical Hygiene Guardians.” Project members Barbara Soldo, Matilda Šprung, and Lucija Krce participated in the activity. The activity was reported on behalf of the CHEM group by Ivana Anđelić.

Through simple experiments, visual displays, and discussions, visitors learned about quaternary ammonium compounds, which are found in numerous disinfectants and hygiene products. They saw how these compounds bind to the surface of bacterial cells and damage their membranes, thereby preventing bacterial growth or destroying them.

Besides highlighting their antimicrobial effect, the activity also addressed the issue of responsible use. After application, quaternary ammonium compounds can end up in wastewater, and some are difficult to degrade and can persist in the environment. Their excessive or improper use can negatively affect aquatic organisms and contribute to reduced susceptibility of microorganisms to antimicrobial agents.

Visitors were also introduced to the research being conducted within the bioFIDE project, which focuses on developing new quaternary ammonium compounds. The aim is to create compounds that retain effective antimicrobial activity while being less persistent and less harmful to the environment.

The activity was aligned with the objectives of the European mission “Restore Our Ocean and Waters,” in particular the prevention and reduction of water pollution. It aimed to show how scientific research can help strike a balance between the need for effective hygiene and the protection of seas, rivers, and other aquatic ecosystems.

Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU through the Croatian National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021–2026 (NPOO), within the project “Molecules and (nano)materials for biofunctional integration: from design to education” (bioFIDE), project identification code IP-UNIST-47.