BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Staphylococcus epidermidis infections following hospital procedures typically result in significant complications. These are especially evident with procedures involving implantation of blood-contacting biomaterials. S. epidermidis is capable of adhering to these biomaterials utilizing a variety of mechanisms, one of which uses the plasma protein fibrinogen as an intermediary. For the present studies, this binding scheme was exploited by using a synthetic fibrinogen-based peptide to demonstrate targeted binding of S. epidermidis in vitro. Characterization of the conditions under which this peptide binds to S. epidermidis will aid in the development of a robust targeting ligand, leading to future in vivo applications such as prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of infection.

Host: Professor Roger Marchant