ABOUT

The BioEngineered Surfaces (BeSurf) group explores nanotechnology-based strategies as alternatives to conventional antibiotics for the treatment of gastric, skin, bone and biomaterial-associated infections.

The group focuses on surface bioconjugation of biomolecules using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and biomedical polymers/ceramics to develop antimicrobial coatings or nanoparticles targeting bacterial infection.

Besides fundamental research, the group is also committed to transfer the knowledge created through patent applications in collaboration with industrial partners.

RESEARCH

For the development of these biomaterial surfaces, different approaches are being followed depending on the final medical application:

Biomaterials to fight gastric infection

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach of half of the world population and is responsible for 90% of the gastric cancer burden. The group has been developing antibiotic-free engineered biomaterials (micro/nanoparticles) for H. pylori gastric infection management. Most of the strategies, being specific to H. pylori, can kill them in situ without affecting other bacteria from the gut microbiota. The efficacy of the different approaches is studied in vitro using several H. pylori strains (including clinical isolates) and gastric cell lines and in vivo using a H. pylori-infected mouse model.

Biomaterials to fight wound skin infection

Chronic wounds represent a major healthcare problem affecting 1-2% of the population in developed countries. Infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria contributes greatly to wound chronicity and is responsible for 33.000 estimated deaths per year in the European Union. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics, as they act through non-specific mechanisms and cause virtually no resistance. The group explores AMP grafting on polymeric films, electrospun nanofibers, and nanoparticles as a strategy to reduce AMP aggregation and degradation, while improving local AMP concentration and effectiveness.

Biomaterials to fight bone infection

The group uses innovative bacteriophage-loaded biomaterials to combat bacterial bone infections (osteomyelitis). Phage therapy represents a safe and promising alternative strategy for treating infectious biofilms and multidrug-resistant pathogens, as phages can self-replicate at infection sites, kill target bacteria, and encode biofilm matrix-degrading enzymes. Loading phages into biomaterials, not only shields them from harmful environmental conditions (such as acidic pH, enzymatic degradation, and short serum half-life), but also enables a localized and sustainable release, thereby prolonging their therapeutic activity.

Biomaterial coatings to prevent medical devices associated infection

Biomaterial-associated infection is a major threat in all medical devices since, after surface colonization, pathogens can produce biofilm, protecting them from the host immune system and available therapies. The group has been developing antimicrobial coatings for medical devices to kill bacteria by contact, based on AMPs surface grafting. Different chemical approaches for AMP bioconjugation have been explored to maximize their bactericidal activity after binding.