Giant molecules shaped like Kandinsky circles are toxic to MRSA bacteria

Nested structures are commonly found throughout nature and art, whether they be in the form of tree rings, Russian dolls, or Wassily Kandinsky’s famous 1913 abstract painting Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles. Now in a new study, chemists have constructed giant nested supramolecules or “supramolecular Kandinsky circles,” some of which are more than 30,000 times heavier than a hydrogen atom. The scientists demonstrate that these supramolecules are highly toxic to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), potentially providing a new method for fighting these deadly pathogens.