Projects / Programmes
Detecting bacterial infections using ligand-functionalised colloids
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.04.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Chemistry |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| P400 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physical chemistry |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.04 |
Natural Sciences |
Chemical sciences |
functionalised colloids, pathogen detection, statistical thermodynamic, antimicrobial resistance, computer simulations
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
50420 |
PhD Tine Curk |
Chemistry |
Head |
2018 - 2020 |
42 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The proposed project lies at the interface between physical chemistry, soft-matter physics and molecular biology. I want to investigate a new way to detect bacterial infections, using small colloidal particles which are coated with ligand molecules. My research will use a combination of theory, computer simulations (performed by myself) and experiments (performed in the lab of prof. Erika Eiser at the University of Cambridge).
When a person is suffering from an infection, it is notoriously difficult to quickly and reliably diagnose which type of pathogen is causing it. Lack of a simple, cheap and fast diagnostic procedure is one of the factors that promotes the widespread use of antibiotics for infections for which they may not be the most suitable. The resulting omnipresent use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), or »superbugs« - bacterial infections that have evolved resistance to antibiotics. The 2016 O’Neill report, among other reports, identifies this as an urgent and growing global problem and predicts that AMR will cause 10 million deaths per year and cost the global economy a cumulative $100 trillion by 2050, if it is not adequately addressed.
In this project, I propose to investigate a novel approach of detecting infections, inspired by concepts from soft-matter physics. This approach, based on ligand-coated colloids (LCCs), has the potential to achieve rapid, cheap and robust diagnostics of bacterial infections. Ligand-coated colloids (LCCs) are micron-sized plastic or metallic beads whose surface is grafted with either biological ligands or single-stranded pieces of DNA. Over the past decade, LCCs have been investigated for the targeted design of colloidal materials and for the detection of short DNA fragments in many medical contexts.
Binding of the colloidal particles to the bacteria is expected to locally condense the colloids causing them to sediment, which will be detectible optically. Specifically, I plan to use theory and simulations (based on my expertise form my PhD and postdoc work), to determine how this binding can be made specific: so that the colloids bind only to a specific bacterial species in the sample and not, for example to human cells or other bacteria.
The main objective of the proposed research is to investigate the hypothesis that bacterial infections can be reliably, rapidly and cheaply diagnosed using ligand coated colloids.
This project will produce a set of theoretical and simulation data characterizing the performance of ligand-coated colloids for the detection of pathogens. My work will establish the suitability of the method as a new diagnostic technology, providing a basis for experimental and clinical validation. I will work in close collaboration with the group of prof. Erika Eiser at the University of Cambridge who will perform the experimental part of the project. In the first instance we shall aim for a robust method that can generally detect whether an infection is bacterial or not. In the second step we aim to improve the method such that different bacterial species could be unequivocaly distinguished.
Significance for science
In this project we will develop a novel method for diagnosis of bacterial infections, based on the co-operative binding of DNA-coated or ligand-coated colloidal particles to bacterial genomic DNA, which could be implementated in resource-poor, point-of-care settings.
This project will produce a set of theoretical and simulation data characterizing the performance of the ligand-coated colloids for detection of pathogens. My work will establish the suitability of the method as a new diagnostic technology, providing a basis for experimental validation. In the first instance we shall aim for a robust method that can generally detect whether an infection is bacterial or not.
In the process we expect to obtain new insight into nanoparticle-genomic DNA interactions on the micro-scale, that is at play in the investigated states, leading to publications in high impact journals.
Successful application of ligand-coated colloids in detecting bacteria would establish a new concept for diagnosis of bacterial infections, which promises to be much faster than the existing methods. This would be a highly significant and timely development, given the global importance of the antimicrobial resistance problem, which also constitutes the societal priority field of the current research project call.
Significance for the country
In this project we will develop a novel method for diagnosis of bacterial infections, based on the co-operative binding of DNA-coated or ligand-coated colloidal particles to bacterial genomic DNA, which could be implementated in resource-poor, point-of-care settings.
This project will produce a set of theoretical and simulation data characterizing the performance of the ligand-coated colloids for detection of pathogens. My work will establish the suitability of the method as a new diagnostic technology, providing a basis for experimental validation. In the first instance we shall aim for a robust method that can generally detect whether an infection is bacterial or not.
In the process we expect to obtain new insight into nanoparticle-genomic DNA interactions on the micro-scale, that is at play in the investigated states, leading to publications in high impact journals.
Successful application of ligand-coated colloids in detecting bacteria would establish a new concept for diagnosis of bacterial infections, which promises to be much faster than the existing methods. This would be a highly significant and timely development, given the global importance of the antimicrobial resistance problem, which also constitutes the societal priority field of the current research project call.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
