Exploring the Physicochemical Factors that Influence Adhesion and Biofilm Formation of Acinetobacter baumannii

Since the introduction of antibiotics about 90-years ago, millions of lives have been saved.

However, there is no doubt that the rapid increase in antibiotic resistance among pathogenic bacteria is present right now all over the world and it threatens our ability to cure common infectious diseases.

To counteract this present threat, we must quickly develop new therapeutic strategies to fight bacterial infections.Acinetobacter baumannii was ranked in 2017 by the WHO as a priority pathogen since over 70% of isolated strains in some regions of the world are multi-resistant to antibiotics. A. baumannii, an opportunistic pathogen, can cause sepsis, pneumonia, wound infections, and urinary tract infections.

In addition, A. baumannii is very resilient when it comes to dehydration and disinfection with chemicals; this is attributed to its ability to create protective biofilms.

Furthermore, it is very good at binding to tissue, steel, plastic, etc., making it good at enduring in hospital environments.In this project, we aim to use physicochemical methods and computer simulations to investigate A. baumannii’s surface fibers, which can be correlated to their ability to adhere and likely play an essential role in protective biofilms.

To carry out the project, we intend to use optical tweezers and AFM to characterize fibers, biofilms, and interactions with different materials and antibodies. Finally, we want to develop a stimulated Raman system able to characterize thick biofilms.