Student(s): Taylor Jeffrey
Project: Toxin-Responsive Lipid Nanoparticles Encapsulated with Calcium Peroxide and Antibiotic to Combat Biofilm Associated Bacterial Infections | View Poster (PDF)
Major(s): Chemical Engineering
Advisor(s): Angela Brown
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms present a significant challenge in treating infections due to their strength and resistance to antibiotics and the host immune response. Traditional antibiotic treatments are often ineffective because the biofilm’s protective matrix shields bacteria from drugs and immune defenses. Developing a biofilm-targeted therapy could significantly improve treatment outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and combat antibiotic resistance.
The specific bacteria we are working with is Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), an oral bacterium associated with aggressive forms of periodontitis. Aa is unique in comparison to others because of its ability to form biofilms, which resist antibiotic treatment. We intend to combat this by treating biofilm with encapsulated calcium peroxide in lipid nanoparticles combined with moxiflacin to engineer a specific oxygen release rate, as CaO2 reacts with water to produce oxygen in a controlled manner, which should be effective in targeting Aa bacteria as they thrive in low-oxygen environments.
We hypothesized that the treatment of Aa biofilms with an oxygen-generating biomaterial along with traditional antibiotics would demonstrate improved effectiveness. We have successfully synthesized nanoscale calcium peroxide particles, primarily investigating the effect of temperature on the synthesis of nanoscale CaO2 particles. Using dynamic light scattering and other techniques, we found that we can control particle size with temperature, as a smaller particle size resulted when synthesized at 4°C vs room temperature (81.1 nm vs 334.4 nm). After establishing an understanding of the size and structure of our calcium peroxide lipid nanoparticles, we are currently working to demonstrate their effectiveness in destroying Aa biofilms.
About Taylor Jeffrey
Taylor Jeffrey is a third-year undergraduate student from Brooklyn, NY, studying chemical engineering at Lehigh University. She is a Clare Booth Luce Fellow, conducting research under Professor Angela Brown, PhD. Now in her second year working with Professor Brown, Taylor is currently exploring the engineering and application of lipid nanoparticles as a way to treat bacterial infections, and combat antibiotic resistance. Previously, Taylor conducted research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai working under Kevin Costa, PhD, aiding in NASA-funded cardiology experiments. Beyond her research, she is actively involved on Lehigh’s campus as a Marcon Fellow, working on Projects that promote inclusion and equity in STEM, as well as serving as the treasurer for the Caribbean Culture Club. In her free time, she loves to enjoy time with friends and family, taking a break from everything else going on.