▁as cor b ic ▁acid . ▁ ▁A ▁subsequent ▁paper ▁prob ed ▁some ▁of ▁co pper ' s ▁ant im icro b ial ▁mechan isms ▁and ▁c ited ▁no ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 2 0 ▁investig ations ▁into ▁the ▁effic acy ▁of ▁co pper ' s ▁action ▁on ▁micro bes . ▁The ▁authors ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁ant im icro b ial ▁mechan isms ▁are ▁very ▁complex ▁and ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁many ▁ways , ▁both ▁inside ▁cells ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁inter st it ial ▁spaces ▁between ▁cells . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁mole cular ▁mechan isms ▁noted ▁by ▁various ▁research ers ▁include ▁the ▁following : ▁The ▁ 3 - dimensional ▁structure ▁of ▁prote ins ▁can ▁be ▁alter ed ▁by ▁co pper , ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁prote ins ▁can ▁no ▁longer ▁perform ▁their ▁normal ▁functions . ▁The ▁result ▁is ▁in activ ation ▁of ▁b acter ia ▁or ▁vir uses . ▁Co pper ▁complex es ▁form ▁radical s ▁that ▁in activ ate ▁vir uses . ▁Co pper ▁may ▁dis rupt ▁en zym e ▁structures , ▁and ▁functions ▁by ▁binding ▁to ▁sul fur - ▁or ▁car box yl ate - cont aining ▁groups ▁and ▁am ino ▁groups ▁of ▁prote ins . ▁Co pper ▁may ▁inter f ere ▁with ▁other ▁essential ▁elements , ▁such ▁as ▁z inc ▁and ▁iron . ▁Co pper ▁facil it ates ▁de le ter ious ▁activity ▁in ▁super ox ide ▁radical s . ▁Re pe ated ▁re do x ▁re actions ▁on ▁site - specific ▁mac rom ole cules ▁generate ▁HO