New technology could help tackle antibiotic resistance | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › New technology could help tackle antibiotic resistance New technology could help tackle antibiotic resistance Published: January 23, 2020 Author: Brandi Wampler Nanoparticle P Nallathamby According to the World Health Organization, one of the biggest health threats around the world is antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Every day people use antibiotics to prevent or fight back against infection, but as bacteria evolve and develop resistance, diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis are becoming harder to treat.  Researchers at the University of Notre Dame are working to combat this problem by looking to bacteriophages or phages. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria, similarly to how bacteria infect people, but bacteria have yet to develop resistance to these viruses. In a study published in Nanoscale Advances, the researchers have shown the efficacy of a new nanoparticle-based system that mimics how phages attack and kill bacteria. “Instead of chasing the next antibiotic, we want to create a system that can treat infection and is an option that bacteria can’t develop resistance to,” said Prakash Nallathamby, research assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering and directing author of the study. “In our initial attempt, our team was able to kill several different types of clinically relevant bacteria with varying degrees of success.” The phage-mimicking nanoparticle system consists of silver-coated gold nanoparticles distributed randomly on a silica core. Once created, the system was tested for its ability to kill four bacteria types that are known to have antibiotic-resistant strains: Corynebacterium striatum, Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. These various bacteria cause a number of health issues including prosthetic device infections, sepsis, meningitis and blood infections. Initial tests showed that the nanoparticle system was 50 percent to 90 percent effective in killing the bacteria strains for all but Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which was only 21 percent effective. However, when the researchers combined the nanoparticle system with peptides that also have antibacterial activity, the system was 100 percent effective at killing the bacteria. “By incorporating a biological element, we were able to make the nanoparticles more effective in eliminating the bacteria in initial testing,” said Nallathamby. “Now, we are actively looking to partner with an organization that would advance this system to a clinical study.” The lead author of this study was postdoctoral researcher Juliane Hopf. Other co-authors include Shaun W. Lee, the Monahan Family Associate Professor of Rare and Neglected Diseases; Ryan Roeder, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering; Joshua Shrout, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences; graduate student Katelyn Carothers; and undergraduate researchers Margo Waters and Veronica Kalwajtys. The study was supported by the strategic research initiatives Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics and the Center for Nano Science and Technology. Additionally, the study was partially funded by the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute. The intellectual property from these studies is protected by a patent application filed by the IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame. To read the paper, visit https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2019/NA/C9NA00461K#!divAbstract.  Contact: Brandi Wampler, research communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, brandiwampler@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch Originally published by Brandi Wampler at research.nd.edu on Jan. 22. Posted In: Research Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related October 05, 2022 Astrophysicists find evidence for the presence of the first stars October 04, 2022 NIH awards $4 million grant to psychologists researching suicide prevention September 29, 2022 Notre Dame, Ukrainian Catholic University launch three new research grants September 27, 2022 Notre Dame, Trinity College Dublin engineers join to advance novel treatment for cystic fibrosis September 22, 2022 Climate-prepared countries are losing ground, latest ND-GAIN index shows For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn