New technology mimics shark skin to create bacteria-resistant cutting boards

These laser-textured metal surfaces, designed at micro and nanoscale levels, could prevent bacterial adhesion and enhance food safety during meat processing. Credit: Sebastiampillai Raymond

Meat processing facilities face a persistent challenge: keeping surfaces clean. Bacteria from meat can attach to workstations, multiply and form biofilms — stubborn, invisible clusters that resist even the most rigorous cleaning protocols. However, researchers in New Zealand may have found an innovative solution by taking inspiration from nature.

Scientists from the Hopkirk Research Institute, the New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, and Applied Technologies Group have developed a cutting-edge laser technology that textures metal surfaces to mimic the antimicrobial properties of shark skin. Their findings, published this week in the Journal of Laser Applications, suggest this approach could dramatically reduce bacterial contamination without the need for chemical treatments.

A shift from cleaning to prevention

Current antimicrobial strategies in meat processing have significant limitations. Even food-grade surface sanitisers struggle to eliminate well-established biofilms and bacterial spores. “Antimicrobial interventions currently approved and used commercially have a limited capacity to reduce well-established bacterial biofilms and spores, and complete decontamination is rarely achieved,” explained Sebastiampillai Raymond, one of the study’s authors.

Instead of relying on constant cleaning, the researchers developed a laser-induced surface texturing technique. By using lasers to etch microscopic patterns into stainless steel, Raymond and his team altered the surface at the nanoscale level, making it physically difficult for bacteria to attach and grow. This approach also modifies the metal’s water-repellent properties, further limiting microbial adhesion.

Nature’s design, engineered for industry

The inspiration for this breakthrough came from nature. “Laser-textured surfaces possess antibacterial properties because they physically disrupt bacterial adhesion, growth and proliferation,” Raymond said. “These nanoscale and microscale surface textures mimic natural antimicrobial surfaces, such as those found on cicada wings and shark skin.”

Crucially, this technology offers a highly adaptable solution. Different bacterial species can be targeted by adjusting the surface textures to match the shape of specific microbial cells, making it even harder for them to gain a foothold.

A practical, chemical-free solution

One of the most promising aspects of laser surface texturing is its regulatory potential. Unlike traditional antimicrobial coatings, which often introduce chemicals that require approval, this method is purely physical. “Compared to some conventional approaches, laser surface texturing does not introduce non-native materials or require chemical etchants or sensitisers on treated surfaces,” Raymond noted. “This could lower barriers to introducing new technology into a regulated environment and eliminates any risk of potential chemical contamination from the coating.”

With the team now exploring machine learning to optimise and automate the process, this innovation could offer the food industry a powerful new tool in the battle against contamination, one inspired by millions of years of natural evolution.