Disrupting oral biofilm formation & maturation: Covalently inhibiting glucan sucrases from Streptococci

A chemical glue designed to permanently jam the enzymes that build dental plaque could stop oral biofilms from forming in the first place. Oral biofilms—sticky communities of bacteria that coat teeth and gums—are the root cause of tooth decay and contribute to wider oral disease. Their structural backbone is a sugary substance called glucan, which is assembled by enzymes known as glucan sucrases. Current treatments mostly scrape biofilms away after they form, or kill bacteria indiscriminately. This project targets the construction process itself: it will design small molecules that slip into the enzyme’s active site and form a permanent covalent bond, disabling it for good. The team will synthesise these inhibitors, then test them in bacterial cultures and in vitro models to see whether they block biofilm maturation without harming the rest of the oral microbiome. If the strategy works, it could lead to a new class of preventive treatments—perhaps a mouthwash or toothpaste additive—that stops plaque from building up in the first place. That would shift oral care from mechanical removal to chemical prevention, reducing caries and gum disease without relying on broad-spectrum antimicrobials. The project is fundamental science at the interface of chemistry and microbiology, but the same covalent-inhibition approach has already succeeded against other disease-relevant enzymes, making a practical outcome plausible.