A new material platform uses microscopic light sources to detect and kill bacteria in chronic wounds, offering an alternative to antibiotics. Chronic infected wounds cost the NHS an estimated £8.3 billion annually and severely impact patient quality of life. The current standard of care relies on systemic antimicrobials, which fuel the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR)—a global threat directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019. This project combines physicists and microbiologists to build a photonic material platform that can both identify specific bacteria in polymicrobial wound communities and disinfect the wound site using light-activated quantum dots. If successful, the technology could transform wound management by enabling targeted, non-drug treatment that reduces reliance on antibiotics. It may also be adapted to decontaminate inert surfaces in hospitals or other settings, helping to curb the spread of resistant infections. The pilot projects will test detection via energy transfer between microbes and quantum dots, and photodisinfection using ex vivo wound models. The work is applied, not fundamental—it directly targets a clinical need and aims to produce a deployable material platform.
View original technical description
Through a synergistic collaboration between Physicists and Microbiologists, we will develop a material platform that can precisely detect and manipulate bacteria (in particular, polymicrobial communities) using microscopic light sources. This innovative material platform will address an unmet clinical need in the surveillance and management of chronic infected wounds and has the added potential to decontaminate inert surfaces and combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Chronic wounds pose a significant human and financial burden on the NHS, costing approximately £8.3 billion to manage annually and drastically impacting patient mortality and quality of life. The current standard of care is limited and uses systemic antimicrobials which contributes to the rise in AMR. According to the World Health Organisation, AMR ranks among the most significant global threats to public health and development. In 2019, it was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide and played a role in 4.95 million fatalities. Therefore, technologies that can improve wound care and also help fight AMR are urgently needed. In this context, we will leverage the combined expertise of the University of Strathclyde in photonics, advanced materials, and nanotechnology (specifically colloidal semiconductor quantum dots and microscopic light-active structures) and the University of Manchester’s expertise in photobiology, wound healing and the skin microbiome. The researchers will immerse themselves in each other’s disciplines to acquire new skills and collaborate on two pilot projects exploring the functionalities of the photonic material platform: (1) Detection of members of the wound-associated microbiota using energy transfer between microbes and quantum dots; (2) Capability for photodisinfection and management of chronic infected wounds through the development of physiologically relevant ex vivo models. These pilot projects will establish a robust Engineering-Physical Science/Biology Connectivity for Health Tech, and their outcomes will inform the development of co-created downstream research and innovation.
Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.
Is something wrong? Let us know