Building microbial cities: engineering mucosal biofilm nurseries for Antimicrobial Resistant (AMR) research

Biofilms (microbial populations forming surface colonies) line all mammalian mucosal surfaces; they can harbour antimicrobial resistant pathogens and are a hotbed for the exchange of antimicrobial resistance genes within the colonies. Their influence on our health is only just being realised yet the in-vitro models we have for studying such systems are simplistic and does not reflect human physiology. This limits our fundamental understanding of biofilms and our ability (for example) to identify effective treatments such as combination therapies or new antibiotics; the WHO stated antibiotic resistance is "one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today."

Potential Impact of this work is significant. As a disruptive technology it supports the understanding of AMR and the development of revolutionary treatments for what is recognised the biggest threat to modern medicine

Alignment: to EPSRC Healthcare Technologies (i) Developing new therapies as an engineered platform allows the fundamental science of antimicrobial resistant biofilms and the impact of drug treatments to be studied; (ii)Optimising Disease Prediction, Diagnosis and Intervention. Internationally, it aligns with UN sustainable development goal 3 of good health & well-being (universal health coverage by supporting more rapid delivery of cost-effective drug treatments).

Aim: The engineering of novel biofilm 'nursery' models with a-priori defined and controlled fluidic environments operating under physiologically relevant conditions.

Objectives: (a) Design biofilm nurseries that replicate in vivo mucosal physiological characteristics (e.g., flow, temperature, surface chemistry) (b) Characterise biofilm structure and microbial compositions, (c) Demonstrate the model performance against microbial therapeutics designed to reduce AMR pathogens in the intestinal environment.