YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – Research at Youngstown State University is looking to cure big diseases such as Alzheimer’s and PTSD. Now, the same principles are being used to attack E. Coli and other bacteria-resistant things. And the success is staggering.

Jordan and Abbey are two YSU students involved in a major project. They treat bad bacteria with gold particles, and that mixture gets put in front of a laser beam for up to 10 minutes.

“Then, we take the bacteria out and try to grow them again and we find out that we’re killing 90 to 95% of them,” said YSU Professor Chet Cooper,

The findings were presented to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently, which wanted to hear ideas about eradicating bacteria-resistant bugs like E. Coli and Candida Auris. The YSU research wiped them out in under 10 minutes.

“And when you talk atomic physics to students, they’re sort of what, why? But if you do something that kills bacteria, they’re like, hey, that’s cool. I want to do that,” said YSU Professor Greg Sturrus.

The CDC is going to send more strains and the students will be involved in the research.
This technology could be a new wave of medicine. They want to find a way to activate the particles in a non-invasive way.

“So that they’ll attack the bad bacteria, kill them and leave the good bacteria alone. That way, help alleviate a person’s symptoms,” Cooper said.

“We’re going to be treating disease outside of the body with zero side effects.,” said Bill Hartman, president and CEO of Halberd Corporation.

The technology seems to be working quite well. This could become a therapeutic thing, eventually, which would help a lot of people.

“Typically, if you get sick, you get an antibiotic or some drug and you try to treat it. This isn’t either of those things. It’s a whole different way of trying to heal people. A whole different approach, and I think that’s what’s exciting about it,” Sturrus said.

It could cost up to $100 million to take something to the FDA and get approval for treatment.

Halberd Corporation is leading the research. It’s a small technology development company. And it’s trying to attract a large pharmaceutical company to help take the idea further.

Halberd is also doing preclinical testing of a nasal spray to help with traumatic brain injury.