Professor Ruby Sullan of the University of Toronto

"Quantitative Imaging of Biofilms and Nanomaterial-based Antimicrobials"

Research in our group combines quantitative biofilm study with nanotechnology-based approaches to mitigate biofilm-related problems. In the first part of my talk, I will focus on our recent progress in engineering smart nanomaterial-based antimicrobials (nanoantimicrobials) that target bacteria via multiple killing mechanisms. Concurrent with our effort in designing effective antimicrobial platforms, we are also developing nanoscale analytical tools to elucidate the mechanism of action of our engineered nano-antimicrobials. In the second part of my talk, I will highlight the quantitative and non-invasive platform we developed based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) that allows us to measure the mechanical properties of biofilms with nanometer resolution. I will end my talk with our exciting discovery that bacteria continue to feel the surface long after initial attachment. Overall, research efforts in our group are driven by the need to engineer new classes of materials and therapeutics that can inhibit bacterial fouling on surfaces.