Research project 5

• Host institution: University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland.
  Department: School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science Research
• Supervisor: Associate Professor, Tadhg. Ó Cróinín, e-mail: tadhg.ocroinin@ucd.ie
• DC 5: NN
• Learn more about this position at EURAXESS

Project Description

Short description: DC5 will investigate the effectiveness of AMPs, alone and with biopolymer coatings, in preventing and disrupting biofilms on device surfaces. The project involves developing biopolymer-coated devices, characterising biofilm interactions with AMPs using confocal microscopy, and assessing their impact on biofilm structure and antibiotic sensitivity. Promising AMP-antibiotic combinations will be tested in vivo using a G. mellonella infection model for potential clinical application.

Objectives

This PhD project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Antimicrobial peptides in biopolymer coatings in preventing biofilm formation on medical implants. Building on previous work in collaboration with Ashland technologies the candidate will use a variety of techniques to analyse the initial attachment and subsequent biofilm formation by key human pathogens to surfaces coated with PLLA-PEG and PDLA-PEG polymers with and without different antimicrobial peptides. Through a combination of microbiology, molecular biology, advanced imaging techniques, and translational research, the doctoral candidate will generate critical data to inform the design of biofilm-resistant materials and evaluate anti-infective strategies with direct relevance to clinical applications.

Research activities include:

• Evaluating the effect of antimicrobial peptides in polymer coated surfaces on biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Assessing whether incorporation of antimicrobial peptides into these polymers can alter the matrix composition of the biofilm and what effect this has on the resistance of the biofilm to antimicrobial agents.
• Using mutants to investigate the mechanistic action of the antimicrobial peptides on biofilm formation by different pathogens.
• Using Galleria mellonella as an in vivo model to confirm the effect of antimicrobial peptides in polymer coated devices.

Training and mobility:

Research secondments at SHIELD partner institutions:

• Ashland Tech. (Ireland)
• Amicoat (Norway)
• University Hospital Regensburg (Germany)
• Participation in specialised training workshops and international conferences.

Expected Results