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On 14th July, Andrew Pridmore, our Head of Microbiology, visited the University of Bradford to award a prize to the Biomedical Science student who scored highest in their final year research project, specifically in the specialism of Diagnostic Microbiology.
A huge congratulations go to this year’s winner, Mohammed Bilal, whose research investigated the efficacy of hypericin-mediated photodynamic therapy on planktonic and biofilm methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
Andrew was honoured to present him with this well-deserved award, and we’re pleased to share more about the valuable research Mohammed conducted below.
What did the research explore?
The widespread and excessive misuse of antibiotics has led to the rise of antimicrobial resistance, with MRSA at the forefront of this issue. Exacerbating the problem further is the ability of MRSA to form biofilms which can complicate treatment further. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), an emerging photochemical therapy although approved for cancer treatment, remains underexplored as an antimicrobial treatment. Therefore, the research project sought to investigate the antimicrobial efficacy of hypericin-mediated photodynamic therapy (hPDT) on planktonic and biofilm MRSA, to explore its effectiveness as an alternative approach to conventional antibiotics.
What were the key research findings?
- hPDT was highly effective at destroying planktonic MRSA with complete observable photokilling at hypericin concentrations ≥0.5µM, however, survival at 0.1µM could suggest a threshold effect, with 0.1µM being sublethal. This could be due to inherent antioxidant defences.
- hPDT did not significantly destroy biofilms at any tested concentration, with mean viability remaining above 5 log10 CFU/ml, even at 5µM (greatest concentration tested), likely reflecting the resistant nature of biofilms.
- Comparison of log10 reductions between planktonic and biofilm MRSA revealed significantly greater reductions in planktonic cells across all concentrations compared with biofilms, with mean differences averaging >6 log10 CFU/ml.
These findings reinforced the challenges posed by MRSA biofilms, and although proved the efficacy of hPDT against planktonic MRSA, further optimisation of parameters including greater fluence and hypericin concentration can be explored for overcoming MRSA biofilms.
What does receiving this prize mean to Mohammed?
"It is truly a tremendous honour and privilege to receive this award from Don Whitley Scientific, a company with leading international contribution to microbial research and innovation. I would like to sincerely thank them for sponsoring this award which recognises the hard work and dedication that students put into their studies and research. Receiving this award is a great accomplishment, and as I begin my career as a science teacher, I hope that this achievement will inspire my future students to realise that with hard work and dedication, they can achieve anything.
I would like to thank all supervisors and staff on the degree programme whom without their help and guidance, none of this could have been possible. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting me throughout this incredible journey.”
Once again, congratulations to Mohammed on his award, and we look forward to continuing to support young microbiologists in our local area through our partnership with the University of Bradford for many years to come.
England