Project Details
Grant Program
Faculty Development Competitive Research Grants Program 2022-2024
Project Description
This project is aiming to design nanocarriers with a payload of antibiotics or biofilm-digesting enzymes which are encapsulated by a protective shell with a programable breakdown that can trigger the payload release by application of an external stimulus. These smart nanocarriers will be used to pre-treat the surface of various substrates which will be further exposed to bacterial colonization resulting in the formation of a biofilm. We will examine the feasibility of using several different triggers for antibiotic and enzymes release from these smart nanocapsules. Triggered release based on Focussed Ultrasound, Near Infrared and Alternating Magnetic Field irradiation will be explored as well as biological triggers which occur when bacterial colonies start secreting extracellular proteases in the presence of the nanocapsules on the same substrate. Once the biofilm is formed, we will trigger the release of the nanocarrier payload within the biofilm where it will target locally the bacteria (with released antibiotic) and/or the biofilm Extra Polymer Substance by enzymatic digestion which would lead to its efficient removal from the substrate.
Short title | Stimulus-triggered anti-biofilms nanotechnologies |
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Status | Active |
Effective start/end date | 1/1/22 → 12/31/24 |
Keywords
- nanotechnology
- biofilms
- antimicrobials
- stimulus-triggered reselase
- nanocarriers
- bacteria
- nanoparticles
- formulations
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