OUR TEAM

Dr Eldon Tate
CEO and Founder of Inhibit Coatings
Eldon developed our state-of-the-art technology while completing his PhD research at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

Dr Emma Wrigglesworth
Scientist at Inhibit Coatings
Emma is a Scientist conducting new R&D at our research facilities in Wellington, New Zealand. Emma brings her expertise in metal-polymer nanocomposite design and characterisation to our R&D team.

Josh Stoneham
Materials Engineer at Inhibit Coatings
Josh previously completed a masters degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). With a background in alloy chemistry and processing, he brings his expertise in materials characterisation and testing to the team.

Stephen Fitzer
Operations Manager at Inhibit Coatings
Stephen is our operations manager with experience in both project and production environments. He graduated with an MSc in Engineering Project Management and previously worked on collaborative, complex, and innovative research projects.

Stephanie Lockwood
Master of Science Candidate at Inhibit Coatings
Stephanie is currently a full-time research student at VUW, completing her master's degree majoring in chemistry with Inhibit Coatings. Stephanie specialises - but is not limited - in nanocomposite epoxy resins.

Ethan Wait
Research Assistant at Inhibit Coatings
Ethan has a Bachelor of Science, majored in Biotechnology and Chemistry. With a multidisciplinary skill set, he brings a knowledge of applied biology to the team.
OUR BOARD
OUR TECHNOLOGY
Our broad-spectrum silver antimicrobial agent kills over 650 different types of microorganisms including Human Coronavirus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Influenza A (H1N1), Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter spp.

Unlike other systems that steadily release biocides, our antimicrobial agent is bound to the polymer resin. This eliminates many of the current drawbacks and limitations of existing technology including leaching.
We use silver nanoparticles as our active ingredient (not silver ions) which destroy bacteria, fungi, and viruses via their positive charge, which causes the particle to complex to pathogenic cells in various ways, disrupting their metabolism and structure. Common effects are:
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Alters cell walls and membranes, causing leakage of cellular contents
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Destabilize organelles like ribosomes
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Damages nucleic acids, disrupting nuclear processes
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Generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing stress
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Damages virion glycoproteins and envelopes


Silver Nanoparticles
(Bright white dots).
Escherichia coli
(To scale! ~1000nm x 500nm)



