About BIOME
What is our research?
When it comes to bacterial biofilms, there is medicine that's able to kill bacteria within biofilms. However, in doing this, bacterial resistance develops as the strongest bacteria survive and reproduce. We are looking to find a new way to break these biofilms without causing bacterial resistance meaning it has to happen without killing the bacteria. To do this, we are looking at bacteriophages that have the ability to break down the EPS (extracellular polymeric substance) found in biofilms by utilizing enzymes like DspB and PgaB. We hypothesize that bacteriophage enzymes can be used to hydrolyze biofilm exopolysaccharides and disrupt bacterial biofilms without killing the actual cells.
Why is it important?
Bacterial biofilms are the cause of 60% of all bacterial infections and 80% of chronic infections in human beings. It is also an enormous reason for medical implanted devices to removed and replaced. In preventing their formation from the start, the leading cause of bacterial infections can be reduced leading to a medically novel discovery.
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This is a bacteriophage!
How can you help?
We are a small college research team, and every dollar we have makes a huge impact on the scope of our research. Please feel free to donate whatever you can to our cause! We thank you very much for your consideration and support!