Targeted delivery of antibiotics using proteins that bind to bacterial biofilms

使用与细菌生物膜结合的蛋白质靶向递送抗生素

• 批准号: 2742827
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Leeds
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2742827
• 关键词: Targeted; delivery; antibiotics; using; proteins

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is an urgent problem that could undermine routine healthcare. In this project we aim to develop physical science strategies to improve the efficiency of antibiotic use, and investigate physical methods of killing bacteria. The PhD student will work alongside researchers funded on EPSRC Healthcare Technologies Grant EP/W033151/1 BubblEs for TArgeting and TReatment of biOfilm InfectioNs (BETATRON). Our aim is to develop the use of microbubbles, similar to those already used as ultrasound scanning contrast agents, for imaging bacterial biofilms that cause persistent infections, and to use the microbubbles to deliver antibiotics directly to sites of persistent bacterial infections. In this PhD project we will develop site-specific chemical methods to attach multiple targeting proteins to microbeads and microbubbles. We will investigate if combinations of molecular targeting proteins improve biofilm targeting and adhesion under flow conditions. We will investigate if the combined use of targeted microbubbles and ultrasound pulses to burst the microbubbles at the site of a biofilm infection can provide enhanced antibiotic efficiency.

细菌对抗生素的耐药性是一个可能破坏常规医疗保健的紧迫问题。在这个项目中，我们的目标是制定物理科学策略来提高抗生素的使用效率，并研究杀死细菌的物理方法。该博士生将与EPSRC医疗技术补助金EP/W033151/1 BubblEs用于靶向和治疗生物膜感染（BETATRON）的研究人员一起工作。我们的目标是开发微泡的使用，类似于已经用作超声扫描造影剂的微泡，用于成像引起持续感染的细菌生物膜，并使用微泡将抗生素直接输送到持续细菌感染的部位。在这个博士项目中，我们将开发位点特异性化学方法，将多个靶向蛋白附着在微珠和微泡上。我们将研究分子靶向蛋白的组合是否能改善流动条件下生物膜的靶向性和粘附性。我们将研究是否联合使用靶向微泡和超声脉冲在生物膜感染部位击破微泡可以提高抗生素的效率。