Research Supervisor Connect
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to human health. Bacteriophage (phage) therapy has regained interest in recent years due to alarming spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phage, also known as ‘bacteria eater', is a naturally occurring antibacterial agent that self-replicates and kills the target bacteria without disturbing other surrounding cells. Therapeutic phages can be isolated from the environment, such as rivers, lakes, soil and sewage water samples, and then formulated as liquid, semi-solid, powder and tablet forms depending on the route of administration. A major interest of our group is on the formulation and delivery of therapeutic phages to combat infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Masters/PHD
Infections caused by multidrug-resistant intracellular pathogens such as Chlamydia and tuberculosis are extremely difficult to eradicate. Phage therapy can potentially be used to target these pathogens, but formulation and delivery need to be developed to ensure phages reach the target bacteria residing inside cells. In this study, novel formulations of phages will be developed against multidrug-resistant bacteria that cause intracellular infections. Physical and biological properties of the generated nanomedicine will be assessed using advanced characterization approaches. Both in vitro formulation performance and in vivo biological effects will be assessed and optimized. The completion of this project may lead to more efficacious novel therapy against multidrug-resistant intracellular infections.
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 2972