Bioinspired Nanotherapeutic Platform Development
We are developing antimicrobial nanotherapeutic platform with (i) multiple and highly synergistic modes of bactericidal mechanisms (ii) stimuli-responsive antimicrobial activity, and (iii) precision targeting of pathogens―all combined in one polydopamine-based or polyserotonin-based systems. These multifunctional and highly biocompatible platforms presents a viable nanotechnology-driven alternatives to mitigate the increasing problem of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
Quantitative Imaging of Bacterial Biofilms
The interface between bacterial biofilms and their environment plays a vital role in the recalcitrance of biofilms to biological, chemical, and mechanical threats. Yet, we know little about the physical parameters that dictate the interfacial morphology and nanomechanics of biofilms. Our group is developing a quantitative platform based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) that allows for correlated high-resolution imaging of the morphology and nanomechanical properties of viable biofilms. As interactions between biofilms and various antimicrobial agents occur at the nanoscale, understanding the physico-mechanical properties at the inter- face—with nanometer resolution—is imperative in devising targeted strategies against bacterial biofilms.
Nanoplastic-Bacteria Interaction
As evidence abounds on the negative ecotoxicological impacts of plastic pollution in soil, with smaller plastic pollutants posing a greater hazard, it is important to understand how plastic pollution affects terrestrial organisms. We study how engineered nanomaterials interact with soil bacteria to model how the presence of nanoplastics in agricultural lands impacts soil-dwelling and root-colonizing bacteria. Understanding this intricate dynamics of nanoplastic-soil bacteria interaction is critical to developing sustainable regenerative agricultural practices.
Bacteria-Plant Root Interaction
The rhizosphere microbiome is vital for plant health as it influences plant growth, development, nutrient acquisition, and tolerance to stress. Via atomic force microscopy (AFM), we study attachment strategies of plant-growth promoting bacteria to the different root regions. Understanding the nature of these interactions is important to facilitate bio-inoculation methods.
Bacterial Rigidity Sensing
Rigidity sensing or how adherent cells respond to the stiffness of the underlying substrate is well-known in mammalian cells and is established to influence important biological processes such as stem cell differentiation and cancer cell metastasis. Discovery of rigidity sensing in bacteria however is still rather recent. By quantifying the mechanical forces that govern the interaction of key adhesins with substrates of varying stiffness, we aim to paint a more unified molecular picture of bacterial rigidity sensing.
Molecular forces in bacterial biofilms
Central to the initiation and maturation of biofilms are the cell surface adhesion molecules (adhesins) that mediate initial attachment between the cell and a wide range of surfaces. We use Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule and single-cell force spectroscopy to quantify interaction forces between adhesins responsible for initial attachment and early microcolony formation and relevant surfaces. Our goal is to elucidate mechanisms of initial adhesion by addressing the nanoscale interplay between the properties of the bacterial surface and the underlying substrate.