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了高度附着的生物膜。这些生物膜的扩散将减少威胁生命的感染的潜在宿主。生物膜是包裹在基质中的复杂细菌群落。预测了生物膜内的环境微生态，如缺氧口袋、pH变化，但尚未完全表征。监测微粒子中的化学波动可能会检测到杀菌剂的渗透。人们每天都会接触到衣服上的细菌，高温洗涤可以杀死这些细菌。大多数洗衣机不会达到设定的温度，因此洗衣机中会形成生物膜。铜绿假单胞菌是洗衣机生物膜中的一种优势细菌，可引起人类感染。生物被膜的形成对铜绿假单胞菌的持续存在和普遍存在具有重要意义。因此，了解生物膜以确定可以扰乱它们的抗菌策略是消除这种潜在的感染源的关键。艾洛特实验室的纳米传感器的开发为监测与单个细菌细胞接触的分子提供了一种新的方法。纳米传感器可以穿透铜绿假单胞菌生物膜并发出荧光，以响应pH的变化。哥伦比亚广播公司实验室有大量的铜绿假单胞菌生物膜表征工具。联合利华拥有原位生物膜材料和铅杀菌剂以及相关的运输工具。按需交付的工程化杀生剂应该会降低细菌中选择抗药性机制的可能性。学生将从联合利华的研究和商业培训中受益。学生将产生关于复杂微生物群落的新颖和基础知识，以及创新的商业产品。为了让学生了解可按需运送杀菌剂的车辆的设计，学生将从联合利华获得相关运送车辆的原位生物膜加铅杀菌剂。在UON，学生将分析洗衣机生物膜的微生物成分，并在存在“自由”或“包裹”杀生剂的情况下表征微环境。还将描述微粒子中生物膜效应物的生产，包括胞外多糖的生产。

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.