BIOfilm management and CLEANing by leveraging fundamental understanding of biological, chemical and physical combined approaches
BIOCLEAN is a Horizon2020 Marie Curie funded project worth € 3.9 MM led by P&G, in partnership with 10 universities and 15 Ph.D. students. BIOCLEAN aims to develop mechanistic understanding into achieving deep down and long lasting clean surfaces via surface modification and photocatalytic approaches. In parallel, research is also being carried out to develop novel naturally derived polymers technologies for malodour control and polymer brushes for soil repellence. The project is also working on developing cutting edge visualization techniques such as 4D Micro CT, MRI, SAXS and surface measurement techniques such a Micromanipulation for studying impact of surface and bulk chemistry on adhesive and cohesive forces in biofilms. Learnings from this research project will feed into various industrial applications
Objectives
These are the research objectives of BioClean:
To characterise biofilms by developing new methodologies for studying adhesion and cohesion of biofilms (chemically and physically) including cell-to-cell and cell-to-surface forces.
Iteratively apply data from the first objective to understand the relationship between properties of existing and novel surface and deposition of molecules promoting bacterial attachment and detachment.
To characterise changes in bacterial cells and biofilm from inside and out, chemically, physically and structurally in response to the approaches being investigated. This will advance understanding of biofilm management.
Integration of current real life industrial knowledge to and use of outputs from the previous objectives. This will develop real life applications for controlling/ managing biofilms and their introduction in an optimal way in industry/societal relevant environments and substrates.
Create a lasting network of combined chemistry, biology, engineering experts in biofilm management that will expose the ESRs and their individual project research findings to a broad geographical, cross discipline and cross-sectoral audience. Through the successful implementation of this network, new research findings will be integrated into the current knowledge base.
