Can nanosensors identify antimicrobial release to inform the design of novel biofilm dispersion technology for washing machines to reduce biofouling a

我们周围的微生物形成高度粘附的生物膜。这些生物膜的扩散将减少威胁生命的感染的潜在储存库。生物膜是包裹在基质中的复杂细菌群落。生物膜内的环境微生态进行了预测，例如缺氧口袋，pH值的变化，但尚未得到充分的表征。监测微生物中的化学波动可能会检测到杀菌剂的渗透。人们每天都暴露在衣服上的细菌中，这些细菌可以通过高温洗涤而被杀死。大多数洗衣机没有达到程序设定的温度，因此生物膜可以在洗衣机中形成。铜绿假单胞菌是洗衣机生物膜内的主要细菌，并引起人类感染。生物膜的形成对铜绿假单胞菌的持久性和普遍性很重要。因此，了解生物膜以确定可以破坏它们的抗菌策略是消除这种潜在感染的关键。Aylott实验室的纳米传感器的开发提供了一种新的方法来监测与单个细菌细胞接触的分子。纳米传感器穿透铜绿假单胞菌生物膜，并响应pH值的变化而发出荧光。CBS实验室拥有大量的铜绿假单胞菌生物膜表征工具。联合利华有原位生物膜材料和相关的运输工具。按需交付的工程杀菌剂应减少细菌中选择抗性机制的可能性。学生将受益于联合利华的研究和商业培训。学生将产生关于复杂微生物群落以及创新商业产品的新颖和基础知识。为了告知可以按需提供杀菌剂的车辆的设计，学生将获得现场生物膜加上铅杀菌剂与联合利华的相关交付车辆。在UoN，学生将分析洗衣机生物膜的微生物成分，同时在“游离”或“封装”杀菌剂存在下表征微环境。还将表征微生态体内生物膜效应物（包括胞外多糖）的产生。

Microbes surrounding us form highly adherent biofilms. Dispersal of these biofilms would reduce potential reservoirs of life-threatening infections. Biofilms are complex bacterial communities encased within a matrix. Environmental microniches within biofilms are predicted e.g. anoxic pockets, pH variation, but have not been fully characterized. Monitoring chemical fluctuations in microniches could potentially detect biocide penetration. People are exposed daily to bacteria on their clothing that can be killed by washing at high temperatures. Most washing machines do not reach programmed temperatures, so biofilms can form in the washing machine. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a predominant bacterium within washing machine biofilms and causes human infections. Biofilm formation is important to the persistence and ubiquity of P. aeruginosa. Understanding biofilms to identify antimicrobial strategies that can disrupt them is thus key to removing this potential reservoir of infection. The development of nanosensors in the Aylott Lab provides a novel way to monitor molecules in contact with individual bacterial cells. Nanosensors penetrate P. aeruginosa biofilms and emit fluorescence in response to variation in pH. CBS Labs have a large collection of P. aeruginosa biofilm characterization tools. Unilever has in situ biofilm material plus lead biocides with relevant delivery vehicles. Engineering biocides for on-demand delivery should reduce the likelihood that resistance mechanisms will be selected in the bacteria.The student will benefit from training in research and business at Unilever. The student will generate novel and fundamental knowledge about complex microbial communities as well as an innovative commercial product. To inform the design of vehicles that can deliver biocides on-demand, the student will obtain in situ biofilms plus lead biocides with relevant delivery vehicles from Unilever. At UoN the student will analyse microbial components of washing machine biofilms alongside characterizing the microenvironments in the presence of 'free' or 'encapsulated' biocides. The production of biofilm effectors including extracellular polysaccharides within microniches will also be characterized.