Novel Antibacterial Materials and Coatings—A Perspective by the Editors

The fight between humans and bacteria has escalated to a new level. The past several decades witnessed an alarming increase in the occurrence of bacterial infections on a global scale, presenting enormous clinical challenges with great morbidity and mortality, as well as financial burden . A major reason for this is the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the decline in the development of new antimicrobial agents. These factors have made it challenging to provide effective treatment options for even common bacterial infections. Antibiotics have been crucial in modern medicine for a long time; however, the loss of their effectiveness has jeopardized the fight against infections, particularly when treating wounds, catheters, and implants, which often turn simple infections into life-threatening medical conditions. Like never before, there is a pressing demand to act collaboratively and implement a holistic approach to mitigate the ever-growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide.

This Special Issue focuses on a collection of primary research and review articles in the area of emerging antimicrobial materials for various fields of application, including medicine, agriculture, marine fouling, and food production...