Combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by optimizing the antimicrobial effectiveness of a polyurethane wound dressing and a topical cream containing a novel improved silver formula

This research project aims to demonstrate that a novel silver-based antimicrobial agent can effectively eliminate antimicrobial resistant (AMR) microbes that cause serious and life-threatening infections in people receiving care in medical institutions. Silver is currently used in healthcare products globally for infection control purposes. However, microbial resistance to silver is now widespread and research indicates that conventional silver products do not effectively protect against infections in healthcare settings, highlighting the need for improved infection control technologies. Prior studies have confirmed that our novel silver-based antimicrobial agent has superior effectiveness against AMR microbes compared to conventional silver. Therefore, this project proposes to optimize the effectiveness of the novel antimicrobial agent when embedded, as a replacement for conventional silver, in two of the most common healthcare products that utilize silver for infection control. Our primary objective is to demonstrate that a standard hospital wound dressing containing the novel antimicrobial meets effectiveness criteria set by regulators, and additionally, eliminates three AMR pathogens of growing clinical concern called Candida auris, Carbapenem-resistant E. coli (CREC), and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our secondary objective is to prove that a topical cream containing the novel antimicrobial agent can effectively eliminate the most common clinical AMR pathogens in a research model of skin infection.
The research intern is expected to become competent in performing the core microbiology studies utilized in the biopharmaceutical industry for anti-infective product development. The intern is further expected to develop biopharmaceutical industry-level reporting and presentation skills, as well as project management, critical thinking and time management skills.
The project will support the company’s advancement of two anti-infective product candidates toward clinical development in institutional healthcare settings for infection control use indications, including prevention of AMR infectious disease.