A sticky situation: confronting the challenges of bacterial surface adhesion

Biomedical implants allow the management and treatment of serious health conditions such as heart disease, joint replacements and chronic nerve pain. However, the surfaces of implants allow the attachment of potentially harmful bacteria. Medical implants penetrate the skin and other physical barriers the body uses to protect itself from infection. Bacteria adhered to implant surfaces are often extremely difficult if not impossible for the body to clear, resulting in persistent re-infection. We aim to study how bacterial behaviour is altered by different surfaces and to engineer surfaces to resist infection, reducing patient morbidity and mortality and reducing the need for repeated invasive surgury.