Polymeric materials,especially hydrogels and hydrocolloids have been a boon to human healthcare due to their very innovative and beneficial life support features.Maintaining a moist environment around the wound area enhances wound healing and reduces trauma.Hydrogel dressings,which are transparent semi-occlusive dressings retain moisture and warmth,have been shown to reduce the incidence of wound infection and are a more appropriate treatment than gauze dressings.Infection by pathogenic microorganisms is a major concern in human healthcare industry,particularly in post-surgical wound care.It is therefore imperative that infection resistant materials be developed.However,the development of such materials requires a close collaboration between medicine,microbiology and materials chemistry.