Peg lids in 24 well plate

Analysis of in vitro tools for studying biofilms

Team (Past, Present, & Future)

Postdoctoral Associates: 

Graduate Students: Darryl Taylor (Materials PhD); Chelsea Middleton (CEE PhD); Elizabeth Jacobia (CEE PhD); Georgie Sawyer (MEMS PhD)

Undergraduates: Ishaan Brar (Biology, BS)

Alumni: Sarah Kate Childs (Present East Carolina University PhD Student); Adewunmi Ade-Oyetayo (NEU, SB ChE 2022), Katherine Regis (NEU, SB Bio 2024), Vivian Zhang (NEU, SB ChE 2021, Present Medical Student, University of Maryland); Ashma Sharma, PhD (Nanotechnology, Mississippi State University, 2021); Kady Treviño (Microbiology student, University of Maryland, Colllege Park, NSURP scholar)

Problem

Antibiotics, disinfectants, and peptides are generally tested against single species bacteria biofilms on agar or simple plate assays before moving to animal models and their stress response is always measured in a single species, while multispecies biofilms show dynamic feedback against agonist. New devices are necessary to show efficacy before moving into complicated animal models or more complex humans trials. 

Hypothesis & Methods

  • Construct devices that can provide useful information to both industrial and research user groups
  • Analyze how standardized or commonly used test platforms compare with each other
  • Determine how species modulate multispecies species biofilms response to antibiofilm peptide/antibiotic combination therapy

Specific Case Studies

  • Synthetic Biofilms for studying antibiotic and nanomaterial transport
  • Analysis of biofilm formation on period products
  • Analysis of biofilm formation on P-traps
  • Analysis of biofilm formation solar panels
  • Analysis of biofilm trapping of lead in drinking water 

Potential outcomes & Impact

  • Novel devices for studying biofilms
  • Extended usefulness of existing protocols to other systems

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

  1. Childs, Sarah K. and Jones, A-A D. “Plate Assay Device And Method For In Situ Imaging” Patent Application 18/411,564 Filed 1/12/2024, published 7/18/2024
  2. S. K. Childs and A-A. D. Jones, III, “A microtiter peg-lid assay for in situ monitoring of biofilm response to antibiotics challenges” Biofilms, 2023 Dec 15;6:100167, doi: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2023.100167 PubMed PMID: 38078058 
  3. Sarah K Childs & A-Andrew D. Jones, III “Real-time Monitoring of a High-throughput Biofilm Assay” ASM Biofilms, Charlotte, NC, 11/2022, Control# 2022-A-306-ASM-BIO 
  4. A-A. D Jones, III and C. R. Buie, “In situ continuous measurement of bacteria coverage of electrically polarized metallic surfaces under shear,” Biointerphases, 2022,  Mar 10;17(2):021001. doi: 10.1116/6.0001585 PubPMID: 35272464 
  5. A-A. D. Jones, III. and C. R. Buie, “A Microfluidic Platform for Evaluating Anode Substrates for Microbial Fuel Cells,” Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition, Houston, TX, IMECE2012-87781, November 9-15, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2012-87781 

Funding

  • Funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health