b'Case Study TREATING POLYMICROBIAL BIOFILMSAssisting the academic community to find the right industrial partnerDeep bone biofilm-mediated infections from trauma or surgery are difficult to treat and can be life threatening, affecting up to 100 per 100,000 people per year with up to 64% of long bone fracture patients treated for infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are commonly found in the nosocomial environment, and they are responsible for causing severe bone infection (osteomyelitis) which can result in months of hospitalisation due to poor effectiveness of antibiotics.Polymicrobial biofilm of Staphylococcus aureus (magenta) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (cyan).In 2020, Md Anirban Jyoti returned to research following a career break with the support of theThe first 6 months of the project involved establishing Daphne Jackson Trust. He was awarded a fellowshipmicrobial biofilms and their characterisation and funded by the University of Nottingham and is nowobtaining biological data - such as cytocompatibility of part of a Nottingham research group focused onthe bone graft material and the inclusion and release of addressing these issues by investigating the synergisticantibiotic from the material. Jyoti said, effectiveness of Quorum Sensing Inhibitors (QSI) with antibiotics, in the treatment of polymicrobial biofilms,Being co-hosted by the NBIC laboratory at Nottingham through their delivery from a ceramic bone graft.under the guidance of Professor Camara and the Before submitting his fellowship application, NBIC Innovation Research Fellows network has given Jyoti contacted Professor Felicity Rose and NBIC me access to state of the art technologies and is an Co-Director Professor Miguel Camara at the Universityopportunity to regain practical skills following my of Nottingham to discuss the idea for this researchcareer break on the study of polymicrobial biofilms and project. NBIC connected Jyoti and the team withbacterial quorum sensing signalling. Ceramisys Ltd who came on board as an industrialBy the end of the 2-year fellowship the group aim partner, providing the bone graft materials for theto have established if the inclusion of QSI inhibitors project and co-funding for his fellowship. Jyoti said,can potentiate the action of antibiotics released The NBIC platform provides excellent support forfrom the ceramic, which will be assessed using a 3D career development in science and industry and hasosteomyelitis in vitro model, also to be developed by been critical in securing industrial collaboration for thisthe team. A successful outcome of this project would fellowship. translate to the reduction in the costs of hospitalisation, time for treatment and prolonged antibiotic usage, and ultimately in a better quality of life for patients.Md Anirban Jyoti Md Anirban Jyoti has a PhD in Medicine from Soonchunhyang University, South Korea. His broader research interests are on drug development, drug delivery, intelligent design of biomaterials, mode of action of antimicrobials and finding efficacious, cost effective, environmentally friendly treatments.37'