NSF/FDA SIR: Tools for Studying Soft Material Biofilms and Related Antimicrobial Resistance

非技术：生物材料计划授予密歇根大学的NSF/FDA驻校学者计划奖旨在开发和评估用于检测与医疗器械（包括软材料）相关的细菌定植和抗生素耐药性的工具。与医疗保健相关的感染给我们的社会造成了巨大的损失（每年10万人死亡，280 - 330亿美元）。细菌定植和抗生素耐药性的早期检测将为临床医生和患者提供巨大的好处，以挽救与这些感染相关的生命和成本。该项目将开发和评估基于分子技术和成像工具的工具，以检测软材料和其他医疗器械上的早期细菌定植和软材料。该项目的长期目标是开发此类工具，供临床医生用于非侵入性和快速诊断，从而为患者提供即时适当的治疗。该项目将为研究教育提供巨大的机会，因为它是跨学科的，结合了材料科学，生物学，光学科学和工程的方法。该项目的成功将对保护公众健康产生重大影响。这项研究将与这些领域的研究生和本科生的教学和培训相结合，特别是将为在学术界和联邦机构工作的学员提供丰富的经验。技术：包括软材料在内的医疗器械的微生物定植被认为会导致许多与医疗保健相关的感染。需要更好的早期临床诊断：1）检测和量化医疗器械定植; 2）评估细菌对抗生素产生耐药性的程度。为了响应这些呼吁和迫切需要，该项目旨在开发和评估分子和成像诊断工具的潜力，用于检测皮肤填充材料上的生物膜和相关的耐药性。研究人员将首先使用RNA-Seq技术鉴定潜在的定殖和生物膜特异性标记物，并为这些标记物开发特异性分子探针。该项目预计将开发成像工具，如光学相干断层扫描和共聚焦激光扫描显微镜结合分子探针，以评估体外皮肤软材料上的早期细菌定植/生物膜形成。研究人员预计，开发和了解如何在体外/体内使用这些工具可能会导致进一步开发临床相关的诊断工具。该研究将为进一步开发这些有前途的诊断工具提供坚实的基础，用于快速检测体内生物膜，并为临床医生提供快速和多功能的工具来检查整形手术后的患者。主要目标是保护患者，特别是使用医疗器械和植入物的女性，并提供科学证据和工具，帮助医生和监管机构解决这一公共卫生问题。该项目将通过研究和实习方案为研究生和本科生提供培训。这些受训人员将受益于在学术实验室和联邦机构的合作。

Non-Technical: This NSF/FDA Scholar-in-Residence Program award by the Biomaterials Program to University of Michigan is to develop and evaluate tools for detecting bacterial colonization and antibiotic resistance associated with medical devices including soft materials. Healthcare associated infections exact an enormous toll (100,000 deaths and $28-33 billion per year) on our society. Early detection of bacterial colonization and antibiotic resistance would provide tremendous benefits to clinicians and patients to save lives and costs associated with these infections. This project will develop and evaluate tools based on molecular techniques and imaging tools to detect early bacterial colonization and soft materials on soft materials and other medical devices. The long term goal of this project is to develop such tools for clinician to use for non-invasive and rapid diagnostics; therefore, then provide immediate appropriate treatment for patients. The project will provide great opportunities for research education because it is so interdisciplinary, combining methods from material science, biology, and optical sciences and engineering. Success of this project will have a big impact to protect public health. This research will be integrated with teaching and training of post-graduate and undergraduate students in these areas, and particularly will provide extensive experience to trainees while working at both academia and federal agencies.Technical: Microbial colonization of medical devices including soft materials is thought to lead to many healthcare associated infections. Better and early clinical diagnostics are needed to: 1) detect and quantify medical device colonization; and 2) assess the degree to which bacteria are developing resistance to antibiotics. In response to these calls and urgent needs, this project aims to develop and evaluate the potential of molecular and imaging diagnostics tools for detecting biofilms on dermal filler materials and related drug resistance. The investigator will first identify potential colonization and biofilm specific markers using RNA-Seq techniques and develop specific molecular probes for these markers. The project is expected in developing imaging tools such as optical coherence tomography and confocal laser scanning microscopy in combination with molecular probes in assessing early bacterial colonization/biofilm formation on dermal soft materials in vitro. The researcher expects that developing and understanding on how to use these tools in vitro/in vivo could lead to further development of clinically relevant diagnostic tools. The study would provide a strong foundation for further development of these promising diagnostic tools for quick detection of biofilms in vivo and provide clinician a quick and versatile tool to examine patients after plastic surgery. The primary goal is to protect patients especially women with medical devices and implants, and to provide scientific evidence and tools that will assist physicians and regulators to address this public health issue. The project will provide training of postgraduate and undergraduate students through research and internship programs. These trainees will benefit from working collaboratively at both academic laboratories and federal agencies.