Perspectives

Early on the project we realized that there are many interesting applications for our chosen sub elements, and as we got to talk with different experts, we saw even more opportunities. On this page we have highlighted some of the most interesting ideas, to give you a broader perspective of the true potential of each sub element. We have also included some of the ideas the high school students gave us during our workshops. So take a look and be inspired to how Bacto-aid’s sub elements can be integrated in your future.

Bacteriocins

The promising MIC results of the bacteriocins gives us the opportunity to use them as a supplement to traditional antibiotics, thus facing the evolution of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Here is some of the ideas for their future applications.

Combination of traditional antibiotics with bacteriocins

The bacteriocins could serve as a supplement to traditional antibiotics, since our purified bacteriocins were capable of inhibiting the growth of Methicillin Resistant S. aureus strains. It could also be hypothesized that a combination of traditional antibiotics with bacteriocins could elicit a synergistic effect towards resistant bacterial strains. This leaves us with the opportunity to shift the balance of resistance and prevent the evolution of antimicrobial resistance against traditional antibiotics Dan, Y., et al. (2012). "Bacteriocins Produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria a Review Article." APCBEE Procedia 2: 50-56..

Combination with pulsed electric fields

A combination of bacteriocins and technologies, such as pulsed electric fields, ables us to disrupt the cellular membrane for penetration of the cell and have been suggested to be highly effective Dan, Y., et al. (2012). "Bacteriocins Produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria a Review Article." APCBEE Procedia 2: 50-56.. This method could be a way for us to give the hybrid bacteriocin Laterosporulin-ThuricinS access to cross the cell membrane of P. aeruginosa. This technology can also be a way for us to optimize the effectiveness of the bacteriocins generally.

Bacteriocins as probiotics

Probiotics are living microorganisms that when consumed in modest amounts, confer to health benefits for the host. Studies have demonstrated the impact of bacteriocin-producing strains’ ability to compete within complex microbial communities and thereby influence the health of the host. Here it was seen that bacteriocins are able to directly inhibit the invasion of competing strains or pathogens, or modulate the composition of the microbiota and have an influence on the host immune system Dobson, A., et al. (2012). "Bacteriocins Bacteriocin production: a probiotic trait?" Appl Environ Microbiol, 78, 1-6.. However, when using bacteriocins as probiotics it is important to make a thorough evaluation of the ethical aspects of it, as well as a risk assessment.

It is suggested that probiotics producing bacteriocins could lead to positive probiotic functionality in a number of ways:

• Bacteriocins could function as colonizing peptides, facilitating the introduction and dominance of a producer into an already occupied niche, thereby facilitating the competition of probiotic bacteria with the unfavourable resident bacteria.
• Bacteriocins could act as antimicrobial peptides that directly inhibits competing strains or pathogens.
• Bacteriocins could function as signalling peptides that either signals other bacteria through quorum sensing and bacterial cross talk within microbial communities, or through signalling cells of the host’s immune system Dobson, A., et al. (2012). "Bacteriocins Bacteriocin production: a probiotic trait?" Appl Environ Microbiol, 78, 1-6..

Salve against MRSA

Purified or partially purified bacteriocins hold great promise in treating an unhealthy bacterial flora by targeting pathogenic bacteria and may be employed as pharmabiotics or novel alternatives to existing antibiotics. Promising results have been shown in fighting MRSA with purified bacteriocins Dobson, A., et al. (2012). "Bacteriocins Bacteriocin production: a probiotic trait?" Appl Environ Microbiol, 78, 1-6.. Hans Jørn Kolmos suggested that we could use pure bacteriocins in a salve, which can be applied at the nostrils to avoid MRSA that typically niches here. Applying the bacteriocins at the nose, will make their effect most effective on carriers.

Bacteriocins for medical equipment

It has been proven that surgical suture coating with antimicrobial peptides incorporated is more effective than the Vicryl Plus Antimicrobial Suture against S. aureus in time-kill experiments Li, Y., et al. (2012). "New bactericidal surgical suture coating" Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids., 28(33), pp. 12134–9.. There lies therefore great potential in using bacteriocins for medical equipment.

Spider Silk

Recombinant spider silk can be used for many purposes. Today’s goal for wound treatment is a patch that can provide protection, care and minimize the amount of pain the patient has to go through. During our project with creating Bacto-Aid, we found out that the silk’s potential is great. Here is some of the ideas for its future application.

Creation of skin cell culture

It has been a goal for many years to get a material that is as close to human skin as possible, because skin grafting from other parts of the body or donors is often limited. Given the many properties of silk, there has been tentatives of combining it with keratinocytes and fibroblasts to create a skin cell culturing. It was also shown that spider silk could guide the proliferation of the cells in the proper directions (staying in the frame) Wendt, H., et al. (2011). "Artificial skin--culturing of different skin cell lines for generating an artificial skin substitute on cross-weaved spider silk fibres." PLoS ONE, 6(7), pp. e21833..

Antimicrobial gauze

As an alternative to our Bacto-Aid, our hybrid silk could be used as an antimicrobial gauze. The gauze could then be used for larger wounds and for wounds producing a lot of liquid. The liquid was a problem that Laura Jakobsen made us aware of, and the gauze could be a way of solving this. The gauze could also be dipped into the analgesic Ibumetin.

Soft implants

Soft implants have been subject of interest the past couple of years. Here it has been suggested that spider silk could be braided in a structure and grafted to the bone Li, G., et al. (2015). "Silk-based biomaterials in biomedical textiles and fiber-based implants." Adv Healthc Mater, 4, 1134-51.. This would allow quicker healing of the bone and ensure the creation of proper bone structure.

Nerve scaffolds made of spider silk have likewise shown great potential. Usually bigger motor neurons will not regenerate if degraded or cut. Silk as nerves, could lead to the gain of motoric activity in extremities that could otherwise not be regained after major accidents Li, G., et al. (2015). "Silk-based biomaterials in biomedical textiles and fiber-based implants." Adv Healthc Mater, 4, 1134-51..

Some types of silk have great mechanical strengths and they can therefore be used as an artificial ligament or tendon. The combination of silk with stem cells could allow cells to proliferate and differentiate into the proper type of cells, which could potentially make tendons and ligaments heal, a thing that does not occur naturallyLi, G., et al. (2015). "Silk-based biomaterials in biomedical textiles and fiber-based implants." Adv Healthc Mater, 4, 1134-51..

Textiles made from silk

Silk could be used as a textile for surgeons or for patients with skin problems. The spider silk can tolerate today’s sterilization process (autoclaving), making it possible to be used for different forms of medical interventions. Some already existing products made of silk have shown good results towards reducing the reaction of the disease in question Li, G., et al. (2015). "Silk-based biomaterials in biomedical textiles and fiber-based implants." Adv Healthc Mater, 4, 1134-51..

Implants and coating for guided bone regeneration

Previous iGEM teams(Tokyo Tech 2012 and a Imperial College team 2013) have been receiving promising results in improving the production of PHB. With our introduction of a secretion system, the PHB production may finally be a financially beneficial solution to the current plastic consumption. Here is some of the ideas for PHB’s future application.

Coating of implants in combination with antimicrobial compounds

Intracellular drug delivery

Future market for PHB

Ideas from high school students