Develop and demonstrate a technology for isolation of bacteriophages with enhanced antibiofilm activity

The twenty-first century has seen a global rise in bacterial infections exhibiting antimicrobial-resistance (AMR). More than ninety percent of chronic wounds contain microbial biofilms that exhibit AMR, and the bacteria responsible for several of these recalcitrant infections are called ESKAPEE pathogens. Eradicating ESKAPEE pathogenic infections is challenging, but bacteriophage (phage) therapy is emerging as a new tool to combat AMR in biofilms. Phages thrive in nature, but phage isolation and cultivation from environmental samples requires expensive instrumentation and trained operators. In order to streamline the rapid identification and isolation of phages, we propose to develop a microfluidic impedance-based bacteriophage capture and antibiofilm analyzer (MIPACAA). The portable analyzer will use interchangeable, micro-scale biofilms to capture and enrich phages with antibiofilm activity from environmental samples. Proof-of-concept of the MIPACAA base unit was established in Phase I. Phase II research builds on the Phase I results and further optimizes the individual modules of the MIPACAA system by focusing on the development and characterization of a stand-alone integrated instrument prototype for field-use.