Molecular detection of biofilm
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR SUPPORT TO DETECT BIOFILM FORMING PATHOGENS WITHIN CHRONIC INFECTIONS.
IRAS ID
287419
Contact name
Leanne Atkin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Huddersfield
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Chronic wounds/non healing wound places significant burden on health service resources and adversely impact a patient’s quality of life. Biofilms play a significant role in the development of chronic wounds, with up to 80% of chronic wounds having been found to contain a biofilm compared to 6% of acute wounds (Omar et al., 2017). Biofilms are an important factor in most chronic non healing wounds (Brandenburg et al., 2018). Biofilm pose a risk for persistent wound infection, overt infection, contribute to antimicrobial resistance (Wolcott, 2015) and once present are very difficult to eradicate (Omar et al., 2017).
The development of biofilm in a wound involved in a series of complex, but discrete and well-regulated steps. The exact mechanisms involved in this process differs among genera and species. Biofilm cannot be visualised by the human eye, leading to uncertainty as to how to confirm their presence. This can result in delayed management and a delay in effective interventions. The presence of biofilms has significant implications both medically and economically, clear, and concise information is required to help guide healthcare professionals managing these recalcitrant causes of delayed healing.
This project aims to identify the genes responsible for biofilm formation, specific to bacteria found in a wound, compared to uninfected skin. The results from this work will then feed into further research aiming to develop a clinical point of contact test to assess for the presence of biofilm.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0249
Date of REC Opinion
4 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion