Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM: Concourse [B15]
Targeting Dual Species Biofilms in Clinical Coinfections: Polymeric Nanoemulsion-Based Delivery
Presenter: Harini Sibi
Faculty Sponsor: Vincent Rotello
School: UMass Amherst
Research Area: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
ABSTRACT
Chronic wound biofilm infections, characterized by persistent inflammation, resistance to antibiotics, antifungal agents, and host immune responses, have continued to be a challenge in clinical diseases. It has been an increasing challenge to disrupt and treat single-species biofilm infections; however, with the rise of dual-species coinfections, treatments become very limited. Many polymicrobial infections involve various bacteria, fungi, or viruses that result in common health effects, such as cystic fibrosis (CF), dental caries, and other chronic wound infections.This study investigates antibiofilm and antimicrobial effects of polymeric nanoemulsion scaffolds against nosocomial dual-species coinfections. The ajority of treatments are often designed and tested against single-species planktonic cultures, limiting to various coinfections within the same species or with different species. With an increasing rise in treatment resistance, it becomes imperative to explore non-traditional antimicrobial methods to target biofilm disruption. This study focuses on combating two species, Candida Albican and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), utilizing the therapeutic strategy of essential oils (EOs), containing antimicrobial and some antifungal properties, incorporated into gelatin-based nanoemulsion systems. The EOs used in this study are Eugenol, Geraniol, and Carvarol, derived from plants that have been widely used as antimicrobial agents. Nanoemulsions have nanomaterial sized droplets that are emulsified for stability and resulting in a more permeable compound that is promising for antimicrobial delivery. The EOs have shown promising results overall with growth inhibition in both species and minimal mammalian cell toxicity, making this significant in expanding treatment efficacy and safety for future patients that have nosocomial coinfection biofilms.