This award by the Biomaterials program in the Division of Materials Research in support of the conference on "Bacteria-Material Interactions" is cofunded by the Biotechnology, Biochemical and Biomass Engineering program, in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems. This conference will focus on how materials interact with bacteria, and in developing an understanding the nature of these interactions. One possible outcome of this conference would be in coherently developing better materials that enhance positive tissue-cell/material interactions and simultaneously inhibiting bacterial colonization. This conference would provide an important forum for the exchange of ideas among not only the established and emerging leaders in this field but also the next generation of scientists, who will carry the field forward and integrate it into the broader context of advanced biomaterials. Exchange of ideas at the forefront of this important field, and definition of key pathways for the development of next generation infection-resisting biomaterials would be identified and shared amongst a broad array of scientists and engineers. Sessions will be organized covering a broad range of topics related to materials, and material-microbial interactions.
Broader Impact: With this award, both graduate and undergraduate students would be able to present their research findings, and would provide them an opportunity in discussing potential career choices with individuals from academia, government, and industry. The broadest impact of this project would be the interdisciplinary scientific and professional training/experience that the various young researchers supported by NSF funds would have. These experiences will help train a diverse and interdisciplinary set of students who will integrate the new paradigm in designing novel materials in preventing bacterial infection.
The interaction of bacteria with synthetic materials is an important research area because biomaterials-associated infection (BAI) is now one of the leading failure mechanisms of implantable biomedical devices. BAI occurs when bacteria colonize a biomaterial surface, develop into antibiotic-resistant surface-attached biofilms, and chronically infect the surrounding tissue. Such infections have a significant impact both on healthcare costs and on patient wellbeing. The current generation of biomaterials has to a great extent been defined by a major paradigm shift from the pre-1990's perspective of creating biologically inert synthetic surfaces to the current perspective of creating surfaces that controllably interact with host tissue. From this shift, a new international biomaterials research community has emerged that integrates skills from cell and molecular biology with those from physical sciences and engineering to an extent almost unthinkable twenty years ago. This community now needs a similar paradigm shift so it can not only regulate tissue-cell/material interactions but do so while simultaneously controlling bacterial/material interactions. Hence, the fundamental intellectual merit of the Stevens Conference on Bacteria-Material Interactions was that, through the exchange of ideas now at the forefront of this important field, the definition of the key pathways forward to the development of next generation infection-resisting biomaterials will be identified and shared amongst a broad array of scientists and engineers. The conference attracted 90 participants from academia, industry, government agencies, and clinical settings. Seven different countries were represented. 25 oral presentations were made, and 17 posters were presented. The plenary presentation was given by Mr. Michael Graziano, an independent film producer who is completing a documentary film entitled "Resistance," which addresses the important problem of antimicrobial resistance by bacteria.
