COMBAT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Complex Biofilms and AMR Transmission
IRAS ID
315228
Contact name
Isabella Centeleghe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The main aim of the project is to understand and control the spread of antimicrobial resistance in complex biofilms in different environments. We will be taking samples of biofilms that colonise drains in hospitals, veterinary and household environments. We will be analysing the complex biofilms from these areas and determining the quantity, and exactly what species are present in each.
Lay summary of study results: We were successfully able to collect samples from the U-bend of sinks from two different hospitals in Wales. In total we collected 15 different biofilm samples. Biofilms are a collection of microorganisms that adhere to one another and are often found on surfaces and in drains. We used 4 of these biofilms throughout the whole project, as we were also looking at biofilms from home environments and pig farms, combined with others around Europe. We found the hospital biofilms differed in their susceptibility to different types of disinfectants, with both a peracetic acid (type of hospital disinfectant) product and a probiotic (good bacteria) product working best. We found that although disinfectants worked initially, the biofilm was able to regrow within 24 hours. The results of disinfectant analysis are currently being processed and will be published soon. The hospital biofilms contained a range of different microorganisms, the results of which will be published soon as they are currently being analysed. We found that hospital samples were diverse and did not show any pattern between the hospitals. Data will become available once our papers are published, analysis is still ongoing.
REC name
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REC reference
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