Elastic hollow multivalent microstructures for combating bacteria

• Applicant: Sumati Bhatia, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials ; Biomaterials ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458564133

This proposal presents the design and synthesis of innovative hollow microstructures by smart multifunctional polymer conjugation and intra-shell cross-linking procedures with a special focus on the inhibition of P. aeruginosa. These hollow microstructures will include the following features: (i) biocompatible polymer scaffolds, (ii) fine-tuning of mechanical properties for blocking the bacterial surface, and (ii) different groups for multivalent interactions with the bacterial cell surface. In the first step, parameters for polymer conjugation and cross-linking will be tuned to obtain elastic hollow microstructures of aerodynamic size roughly 5 µm with adapting properties on the bacterial cell surface. Surface engineering of these microstructures with bacteria receptor targeting glyco-ligands or cell wall penetrating groups will offer high binding affinity or high invading capacity along with blocking. Next, degradable versions of such microspheres will be materialized using biodegradable or cleavable (pH or redox responsive) cross-linkers. Finally, these multivalent microspheres will be investigated for their drug transport properties where a relevant drug Tobramycin will be loaded into hollow microspheres following the responsive release at lower pH (5-6) or a drop in redox potential and in solutions of different ionic strengths.This DFG project which moves away from a classical polymer approach towards building a new class of light weight hollow microstructures, will pave the way for the application of a physical concept to combat resistant bacterial infections in the lung. I am sure that this project will unravel useful parameters for targeting bacteria and provide new directions in the field of antibacterial strategies.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: United Kingdom