(402c) Invited Talk: The Biofilm Matrix As a Therapeutic Target
AIChE Annual Meeting
2021
2021 Annual Meeting
Topical Conference: Microbes at Biomedical Interfaces
Topical Plenary: Antimicrobial Platforms and Materials Addressing Current Health Challenges (Invited Talks)
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - 4:30pm to 5:00pm
Biofilm-associated chronic infections are notoriously recalcitrant and exceedingly tolerant to antibiotic treatments. It is thought that the biofilm matrix, a hydrated layer or polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids that surrounds microbes in a biofilm, is a primary driver of chronicity and tolerance during infection. We hypothesized that by degrading these matrix components, we can expose the microbes inside the biofilm and increase antibiotic efficacy. Here I will discuss our pre-clinical evaluation of polysaccharide-degrading enzymes for wound infections, and what we have learned about the biofilm matrix of Pseudomonas aeruginosa during infection.