Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42919326›Full record

ArticleMicrobiome2026

Context-dependent effects of antimicrobial coatings on microbial load and bacterial community composition on public high-touch surfaces.

Harleen Kaur, Rohish Kaura, Kertu Tiirik, Marika Truu, Jaak Truu, Mati Kook, Dmytro Danilian, Vambola Kisand, Laman Mehraliyeva, Merja Ahonen and 4 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Microbiome, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Harleen KaurInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3824-7984
Rohish KauraInstitute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, F. R. Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3364-338X
Kertu TiirikInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2816-7967
Marika TruuInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7228-4610
Jaak TruuInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1818-6678
Mati KookInstitute of Physics, University of Tartu, W. Ostwaldi 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1987-1792
Dmytro DanilianInstitute of Physics, University of Tartu, W. Ostwaldi 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-0713-8143
Vambola KisandInstitute of Physics, University of Tartu, W. Ostwaldi 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9765-055X
Laman MehraliyevaInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia.
Merja AhonenResearch Center WANDER, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Satakunnankatu 23, Pori, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5808-0918
Meija KivisaariResearch Center WANDER, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Satakunnankatu 23, Pori, Finland.
Jussi TamminenResearch Center WANDER, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Satakunnankatu 23, Pori, Finland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4587-605X
Aleksandr SemjonovInstitute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, F. R. Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu, Estonia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0006-0450-8655
Angela IvaskInstitute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Riia 23, 51010, Tartu, Estonia. angela.ivask@ut.ee.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3451-7211

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntimicrobial surfaces incorporated into high-touch public areas are used as a passive intervention to reduce surface microbial load and reduce the spread of infections. However, usually such surfaces lack proof of their antimicrobial activity in real-use conditions and against a wider variety of microbes. This study evaluated the real-world performance of copper, TiO

resultsCopper surfaces introduced to shopping basket handles consistently exhibited the strongest antimicrobial performance, with significant reductions in aerobic bacterial counts and bacterial DNA, accompanied by clear shifts in microbial community composition. These shifts included reduction of several human-associated and opportunistic taxa and relative enrichment of environmentally resilient, stress-tolerant genera. TiO

conclusionsThis multisite field study demonstrates that the real-world performance of antimicrobially coated surfaces is strongly context dependent and cannot be reliably predicted from laboratory testing alone. Moreover, to understand the effect of antimicrobial coatings on surface microbial communities, real-use monitoring is needed. Video Abstract.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective AgentsBacteriaBacterial LoadMicrobiotaCopperHumansQuaternary Ammonium CompoundsSilverSurface PropertiesTitaniumAnti-Bacterial AgentsAnti-Infective AgentsCopperQuaternary Ammonium CompoundsSilverTitaniumtitanium dioxideAnimal clinicCopperHardware storeIn situ surface bacterial communityKindergartenReal-life testingSilverTitanium dioxideUniversity campus

Identifiers

PMID42919326

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.