Combating biofilm antimicrobial resistance

A group of multidisciplinary researchers, we have the common research goal of preventing biofilm mediated infections that may arise following the use of an implanted medical device.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when administered antibiotics do not result in eradication of infection. Elevated tolerance to antimicrobials is a property of microorganisms when growing as biofilms and this frequently occurs on the surfaces of implanted medical devices.

Our approach is to present novel anti-biofilm chemistries on the surfaces of biomaterials to generate colonisation resistant materials (CRMs). CRMs will inhibit the attachment or kill adherent microorganisms, thereby preventing viable biofilms formation. A range of antimicrobials, tailored by flexible syntheses can also be incorporated into the bulk matrix of biomaterials to facilitate controlled and stimulated release.

A further aspect of our research explores electromagnetic radiation to disrupt established biofilms and stimulate release of our antimicrobial actives.

Scanning electron micrograph of a mixed species microbial biofilm on an acrylic biomaterial.

About biofilms

Biofilms can be defined as microbial communities that are mostly attached to solid substrates with the microorganisms being embedded in a self-produced extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Biofilms are highly resistant to external threats and unsurprisingly are the preferred form of microbial growth in the natural environment.

Researchers

Our researchers are from three Universities (Cardiff, Swansea and Greenwich), the NHS and industry (MBi Wales Ltd) and encompass microbiologists, immunologists, chemists, engineers, clinicians and bioinformaticians.

Principal investigator

Professor David Williams

Theme Lead for Oral and Biomedical Sciences, Professor of Oral Microbiology, School of Dentistry

: williamsdd@cardiff.ac.uk
: +44 (0)2922510654

Research team

Name	Expertise	Establishment
Dr Ian Fallis	Inorganic Chemistry	Cardiff University
Dr Nancy Dervisi	Inorganic Chemistry	Cardiff University
Professor Alastair J Sloan	Bone Biology and Tissue Engineering	Cardiff University
Dr Melanie Wilson	Oral Microbiology	Cardiff University
Dr Jonathan Lees	Microwave Engineering	Cardiff University
Professor Adrian Porch	Electromagnetics, Biomaterials and Mechanical Testing	Cardiff University
Professor Sam Evans	Microwave Sensing/Disruption	Cardiff University
Dr Ann Smith	Bioinformatics and Data Analysis	Cardiff University
Dr Thomas S. Wilkinson	Microbiology and Infectious Disease	Swansea University
Mr Paul Milward	Dental Technology and Biomaterial Sciences	Cardiff University
Dr Matt Wise	Critical Care	University Hospital of Wales
Dr Xiao-Qing Wei	Immunology	Cardiff University
Dr Joel Loveridge	NMR Spectroscopy	Cardiff University
Professor Peter Griffiths	Drug Delivery	University of Greenwich
Dr Stephen Jones	Hip Implant Development and Evaluation	Cardiff University
Professor Julian R Marchesi	Human Microbiome	Cardiff University
Professor Oliver Williams	Diamond Nanoparticles	Cardiff University
Mr Shibendra Nath Datta	Urology	University Hospital of Wales
Dr Angelo Amoroso	Inorganic Chemistry	Cardiff University
Dr Alison Paul	Physical Chemistry	Cardiff University
Dr Simon Pope	Inorganic Chemistry	Cardiff University
Professor Mark Waters	Biomaterials	MBi Wales
Dr Wayne Ayre	Medical Devices	Cardiff Universtiy

Selected publications

Nishio Ayre, W. et al. 2016. A novel liposomal drug delivery system for PMMA bone cements. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials 104 (8), pp.1510-1524. (10.1002/jbm.b.33488)
Imtiaz, A. et al. 2015. An integrated continuous class-F-1 mode power amplifier design approach for microwave enhanced portable diagnostic applications. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 63 (10), pp.3007-3015. (10.1109/TMTT.2015.2472417)
Jordan, R. P. C. et al. 2015. Development of an antimicrobial urinary catheter to inhibit urinary catheter encrustation. Microbiology Discovery 3 (1) 1. (10.7243/2052-6180-3-1)
Almalioti, F. et al. 2013. Convenient syntheses of cyanuric chloride-derived NHC ligands, their Ag(i) and Au(i) complexes and antimicrobial activity. Dalton Transactions 42 (34), pp.12370-12380. (10.1039/c3dt51400e)

Al-Ishaq R, Armstrong J, Gregory M, O'Hara M, Phiri K, Harris LG, Rohde H, Siemssen N, Frommelt L, Mack D, Wilkinson TS. 2015. Effects of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) in an ex vivo model of whole blood killing and in prosthetic joint infection (PJI): A role for C5a. International Journal of Medical Microbiology. pii: S1438-4221(15)30004-7. (10.1016/j.ijmm.2015.08.005)