Objective
Biomaterials are revolutionising many aspects of preventive and therapeutic healthcare. They are already playing an important role in the development of new medical devices, prostheses, tissue repair and replacement technologies.
This proposal addresses two of the most critical issues in biomaterials research: lack of knowledge of the fundamentals processes underlying interfacial interactions and bacterial infection.
We will focus our research on materials used for ophthalmological implants and in particular on the ones used in the manufacturing of intra-ocular lenses for cataract surgery. We will study the interaction of Staphilococcus epidermidis with biomaterial surfaces with nanoscience techniques. Staphilococcus epidermidis ranks first among the causative agents of nosocomial infections. In particular, S. epidermidis represents the most common source of infections on indwelling medical devices. Based on the knowledge accumulated in recent years about the characteristics that make a successful biocompatible interface we propose to research on the properties of amphipatic fungal proteins Hydrophobins as a plausible candidate to modulate the biomaterial interface. In particular, we will investigate class I hydrophobin extracted from the basidiomycete fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, whose properties are only partially investigated. Several studies have shown that class I hydrophobins do not seem to be toxic or cytotoxic or immunogenic, thus they are susceptible to be used in various medical and technical applications.
We propose to coat model surfaces with thin layers of native hydrophobin. The adhesion properties of the layer to the substrate as well as the wetting properties of the biofilm surfaces, will be fully investigated. Subsequently interaction of bacteria with hydrophobin coated surfaces will be investigated. The goal is to obtain information about the factors that may reduce the incidence of infections due to bacterial colonization on biomaterials.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology bacteriology
- natural sciences biological sciences biochemistry biomolecules proteins
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology biomaterials
- medical and health sciences medical biotechnology implants
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
OX1 2JD Oxford
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.