The innovators: Irish lab develops coating to ward off superbug

Coating applied to everyday objects such as smartphones, tablets and door handles reportedly has 99.99% success in preventing spread of MRSA and E coli

George Osborne was just one of the latest people to warn about the growing threat of antibiotic resistant superbugs, telling the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington last month that without urgent action the bugs would soon kill more people every year than cancer.

The chancellor's warning echoed the sentiments of many within the medical community. Infections such as MRSA which have developed resistance to drugs have become a notorious threat in hospitals, where the bacteria can survive on surfaces for up to seven months.