Targeted delivery of antibiotics using proteins that bind to bacterial biofilms

Antibiotics are becoming less effective because of resistance developed by bacteria. We aim to combat antibiotic resistance by developing better ways to use existing antibiotics. You will join a multidisciplinary team based in the Schools of Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, Medicine and Electronic Engineering that is developing the use of microbubbles, similar to those already used as ultrasound scanning contrast agents, to deliver antibiotics directly to a site of infection. Your role will be to develop new protein targeting agents that can be attached to the microbubbles to direct them to bacterial biofilms. You will discover new targeting agents, learn to produce and purify the targeting proteins and characterise their binding interactions to biofilm components. You will learn to attach the proteins to microbeads and microbubbles and investigate if combinations of molecular targeting proteins improve biofilm targeting. Working with the other members of the team, you will investigate if the combined use of targeted microbubbles and ultrasound drug release methods can provide enhanced antibiotic efficiency.

This project is suitable for students with a background in chemistry or biochemistry with a strong interest in protein chemistry. Prior experience of bacterial protein expression and purification is desirable but not essential.