Antifungal activity of metal-based coatings on polytunnel surfaces

Kubala, A, Killen, P, Boyle, O, Bellido-Gonzalez, V, Sgrilli, T and McLean, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8551-4307, 2026. Antifungal activity of metal-based coatings on polytunnel surfaces. Journal of Applied Microbiology. ISSN 1364-5072 (Forthcoming)

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Abstract

Aims: This study investigated the antifungal performance of copper-based antimicrobial coatings developed by Gencoa Ltd., previously validated against bacterial ESKAPE pathogens, alongside newly formulated titanium oxide coatings, against key agricultural fungal pathogens: Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium cucumerinum, and Fusarium oxysporum. Testing was conducted both in vitro and in field trials within an actively used polytunnel.

Methods and Results: In vitro assays included a modified ISO 846 agar plate protocol and a six-well plate fungal colonisation assay simulating high humidity conditions. Field trials assessed coating performance under real-world exposure. Copper-containing coatings: pure copper, copper oxynitride, and copper-doped titanium oxide, consistently demonstrated significant antifungal activity, effectively reducing spore germination and colonisation. Titanium oxide coatings without copper showed minimal effect, performing similarly to uncoated polyethylene. While copper-based coatings were highly effective, some susceptibility to surface degradation under prolonged moisture was observed. However, antifungal activity often persisted in degraded areas of samples with high copper content.

Conclusions: Copper-based antimicrobial coatings offer strong potential for preventing fungal colonisation on agricultural surfaces, outperforming titanium oxide formulations under both laboratory and field conditions. Optimisation to enhance durability will further improve their suitability for long-term use in protected cultivation systems.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Applied Microbiology
Creators:	Kubala, A., Killen, P., Boyle, O., Bellido-Gonzalez, V., Sgrilli, T. and McLean, S.
Publisher:	Wiley
Date:	13 March 2026
ISSN:	1364-5072
Identifiers:	Number Type 2591374 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	17 Mar 2026 14:28
Last Modified:	17 Mar 2026 14:28
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55432

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