Next generation bio-based antimicrobial agents

The aim of the research will be to develop innovative antimicrobial and anti-biofilm compounds and materials, based on polymers from natural sources and compounds of a new chemical class that Dr. Moreira investigates, at SIPBS. It is envisioned that the project will lead to a next generation of bio-based antimicrobial agents that will find a purposeful application in the biomedical field including wound-healing dressings.
The work will be co-supervised by Dr. John Parkinson, at the Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry, and involve chemical synthesis of compounds and materials as well as their full physico-chemical characterization using state-of-the-art techniques based on the Department of Chemistry (Strathclyde) and CMAC. In parallel with the synthesis, the project will entail in-house microbiological analysis on planktonic and biofilm bacteria.
The work is well supported by the infrastructure at SIPBS and benefits from the international collaborations of Dr. Moreira to the University of Helsinki and Aalto University in Finland, the Technical Research Centre (VTT) in Finland, the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research in Germany, the Queen Mary University in London among others.