PhD candidate Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden
Introduction: Gallium-based materials are emerging as promising antibacterial agents due to their similar physicochemical properties to ferric ions, which can interfere with bacterial iron metabolism. [1]Beyond their intrinsic antimicrobial properties, nanoparticles also have substantial potential as drug carriers. Our lab previously demonstrated that calcium phosphate nanoparticles produced by flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) loaded with antimicrobial peptides exhibited potent antibacterial activity.[2]This project investigates gallium-based nanoparticles as drug nanocarriers for both antibacterial macromolecules and small molecules and evaluates their synergistic antibacterial effects.
Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the effects of conjugating LL-37 and tobramycin to Ga₂PS nanoparticles on antibacterial efficacy
Assess in vitro biocompatibility results to compare the cytotoxicity of free peptide versus conjugated formulation
