Experts in Belfast have come up with a new anti-bacterial gel which kills some of the most resistant hospital superbugs.

It breaks down the jelly-like coatings - or biofilms - that cover bacteria such as E.coli and staphylococci. The gel leaves healthy cells in the body unaffected.

It is 'almost impossible' for existing antibiotics to break through the biofilms. Many patients have to have medical implants removed due to infections caused by the superbugs as other treatments do not work. It is hoped the new gel treatment will be able to prevent such extreme measures.

The project was a collaboration between Queen's University in Belfast and Brandeis University in Waltham, USA.

Dr Garry Laverty is from the School of Pharmacy at Queen's and lead researcher. He says "our gels are unique as they target and kill the most resistant forms of hospital superbugs. It involves the use of gels composed of the building blocks of natural proteins, called peptides. The same ingredients that form human tissue.

"These molecules are modified slightly in the laboratory to allow them to form gels that will rapidly kill bacteria," he added.