How environmental stresses change mixed-species biofilms on surfaces
Developing platforms for studying the impact of external stresses on multispecies biofilms.
Researchers are building lab systems that look at how temperature, fluid flow, antibiotics and other stresses change mixed bacterial and fungal biofilms that can cause device infections and contamination.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11376353 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be hearing about work to build physical platforms (including 3D-printed devices) and computer models that mimic real-world conditions for mixed-species biofilms. The team will expose biofilms to stresses like heat, fluid shear, antibiotics and nanoparticles and monitor responses at different growth stages. The goal is to create mathematical relations and tools that help translate results from lab tests to infections on surfaces and implanted medical devices. The experiments focus on bacteria and fungi such as Candida and may use lab-grown biofilms and animal or bench models to reproduce infection-relevant conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with implanted medical devices or recurrent biofilm-associated infections would be the most relevant group for future translation of this work.
Not a fit: People without biofilm-related or device-associated infections are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help researchers and clinicians predict which cleaning methods or treatments will work better against biofilm-related infections and reduce device removals and repeat surgeries.
How similar studies have performed: The stubbornness of biofilms to antibiotics and their role in device infections are well known, but integrated platforms that mimic real-world stresses and link lab results to clinical surfaces are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jones, Akhenaton-Andrew Dhafir — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Jones, Akhenaton-Andrew Dhafir
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.