The 5th Stevens Conference on Bacteria-Material Interactions

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Project Summary This grant provides financial support for the 5th Stevens Conference on Bacteria-Material Interactions being held in June of 2019. The interaction of bacteria with synthetic materials is an important emerging research area, because biomaterials-associated infection (BAI) has become a leading failure mechanism associated with tissue-contacting biomedical devices. Common examples are hip and knee replacements, but all devices are susceptible to infection. BAI occurs when bacteria colonize a biomaterial surface, develop into antibiotic-resistant surface-attached biofilms, and chronically infect the surrounding tissue. Most often, these infections can be resolved only by removing the implanted device, resolving the infection, and reinstalling a second device, all of which can have very significant both on patient wellbeing and on rapidly escalating expenses within the healthcare systems. This Conference brings together a cross-disciplinary group of academicians, clinicians, industrial scientists and engineers, and regulators from around the country and world to present and discuss the most recent research findings associated with the design, development, and use of infection-resisting biomaterials. As a result, the most important problems for future study are identified and can be addressed in the most impactful manner. The Conference also addresses one of the central and very practical issues of how to develop appropriate in vitro and in vivo tests that can be used to quantify and validate performance. Specifically, this grant partially supports the travel expenses associated with PhD research students, post-doctoral students, and early-career professionals who are establishing their careers in areas associated with biofilm research and infection- resisting biomaterials. Participation in the Conference by all of these younger scientists will provide them with important opportunities for networking and scientific exchange across nationalities, disciplines, and professional age groups that will enhance their career development as well as strengthen the overall human infrastructure within this rapidly growing and clinically impactful field of research and development.