Every year, 90,000 people die in the US from bacterial infections they contact in the hospital. The biggest carrier of these deadly bacteria are sheets, pillowcases, pajamas and other textiles.

Dr. Aharon Gedankin, from Bar-Ilan University's Institute for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials came up with a solution: coating the fabrics with a nanoparticle solution that renders them bacteria-resistant. This antibacterial treatment prevents infections from a wide variety of bacteria, even antibiotic-resistant ones.

Because the nanoparticles are embedded in the fabric fibers, the antibacterial properties last up to 70 cycles in industrial hospital washing machines, where the temperature is kept at near boiling 92 degrees Celsius.

Currently, a Mexican company is producing the fabrics for industrial use in North America, and an Israeli company will be producing and distributing the fabrics in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. One day, the 1 million deaths worldwide from hospital infections will be a distant memory, and patients will do what they're supposed to do in hospitals: get better.

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