Abstract Introduction This study evaluated the effect of the polymer polyvinylalcohol-carbazate (PVAC) on the bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PVAC is a polymer with a carbazate moiety that neutralizes free aldehydes and has shown great promise in stabilizing erythrocytes during long term storage. It has also been shown to reduce intraperitoneal adhesions after trauma. For this study, two Gram positive and two Gram negative bacteria strains were used with PVAC to evaluate its effect. Materials and methods PVAC was obtained from the research team at Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala. The bacteria were obtained from Clinical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Academic Hospital, Uppsala. The methods used were spectrophotometric assessment of bacteria growth, use of FITC-conjugated PVAC to study adherence to bacteria, use of FITC-antibodies to study PVAC’s effect on bacterial adherence to erythrocytes and a qPCR for quantification of E. coli. Results and discussion PVAC displayed a clear effect of inhibition of bacteria growth in the study as shown by use of spectrophotometric assessment. Trials with FITC-PVAC showed that the polymer adheres directly to the bacteria, displaying a possible function of its inhibitory properties. The qPCR assay was able to detect the bacteria in all the dilutions used. Introduction This study evaluated the effect of the polymer polyvinylalcohol-carbazate (PVAC) on the bacteria Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. PVAC is a polymer with a carbazate moiety that neutralizes free aldehydes and has shown great promise in stabilizing erythrocytes during long term storage. It has also been shown to reduce intraperitoneal adhesions after trauma. For this study, two Gram positive and two Gram negative bacteria strains were used with PVAC to evaluate its effect. Materials and methods PVAC was obtained from the research team at Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala. The bacteria were obtained from Clinical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Academic Hospital, Uppsala. The methods used were spectrophotometric assessment of bacteria growth, use of FITC-conjugated PVAC to study adherence to bacteria, use of FITC-antibodies to study PVAC’s effect on bacterial adherence to erythrocytes and a qPCR for quantification of E. coli. Results and discussion PVAC displayed a clear effect of inhibition of bacteria growth in the study as shown by use of spectrophotometric assessment. Trials with FITC-PVAC showed that the polymer adheres directly to the bacteria, displaying a possible function of its inhibitory properties. The qPCR assay was able to detect the bacteria in all the dilutions used.