MUBANY - Mechanistically Understand the Bactericidal Action of Nanopillar Topography

自然启发的纳米柱表面展示了一种可以控制表面上细菌定植的方法，而这样做正是这项研究的目的。这是一个尚未完全解决的基础机制，阻碍了新型抗菌表面的开发及其在实际应用中的实施。MUBANY旨在研究纳米柱表面和细菌细胞壁之间相互作用的动力学，导致细胞死亡，重点是在纳米尺度上破译时间分辨的相互作用。第一次，表面附着的细菌的代谢活性将被评估的拉曼光谱加上稳定同位素探测与活/死筛选的细菌。该项目将联合收割机与相关工作流程中的2D/3D成像模式的互补套件结合起来，采用低温样品制备方法，推进当前最先进的实践。这种方法将建立地面实况数据，以阐明纳米柱形貌的杀菌机制。将使用制造的纳米柱聚合物表面作为测试基底来确定实现最佳杀菌活性的最有效的表面参数。该奖学金将使申请人能够进行原创且强大的研究计划，使他处于新兴生物纳米材料领域的最前沿。广泛的培训计划将支持申请人获得先进的纳米纤维，相关显微镜，定量数据分析的研究技能，并提高他在沟通，赠款写作和项目管理方面的可转移技能。申请人将其专业网络扩展到英国和欧盟。这项研究的社会经济效益超出了明显的科学和健康成果，计划的公众参与活动提高了公民对多学科研究方法的认识，以应对抗菌素耐药性等关键的全球挑战。

Nature-inspired nanopillared surfaces demonstrate a means by which bacterial colonisation on surfaces can be controlled, and to do so is what this research aims to discover. It is the underpinning mechanism that is not yet fully resolved, impeding the development of novel antimicrobial surfaces and their implementation in real-world applications. MUBANY aims to investigate the kinetics of interactions between nanopillar surfaces and bacterial cell wall leading to cell death, focusing on deciphering time-resolved interactions at nanometer scales. For the first time, the metabolic activity of the surface attached bacteria will be assessed by Raman spectroscopy coupled with stable isotope probing in correlation with live/dead screening of bacteria. The project will combine a complementary suite of 2D/3D imaging modalities in a correlative workflow with a cryogenic sample preparation method, advancing the current state-of-the-art practices. This approach will establish ground truth data to elucidate the bactericidal mechanism of nanopillar topography. The most effective surface parameters to achieve optimal bactericidal activity will be determined using fabricated nanopillar polymer surfaces as test substrates. This fellowship will enable the applicant to conduct an original and robust research program, placing him at the forefront of an emerging field of bio-nanomaterials. An extensive training program will support the applicant to gain research skills in advanced nanofabrication, correlative microscopy, quantitative data analysis and improve his transferrable skills in communication, grant writing, and project management. The applicant will extend his professional network to the UK and EU. The socio-economic benefits of this research extend beyond the obvious scientific and health outcomes with planned public engagement activities raising citizen awareness of multidisciplinary research approaches to combat critical global challenges like antimicrobial resistance.