PhD project: Fighting bone infection with bubble technology 

Bone infections are terrible for the patient and often need years of surgery, medication and rehab to treat. These type of infections include diseases such as arthritis, but can also occur after surgery when artificial materials are implanted, such as hip replacements. Often a type of infection known as a biofilm can form, which is incredibly strong and difficult to treat. The patient will typically be given months of antibiotics, but biofilm infections are hard to penetrate. With bacteria becoming more and more resistant to antibiotics, we know we have to find new ways to treat infectious diseases.

This research project will use innovative microbubble technology, with the aim of destroying the bone biofilm infection, without the need for surgery. We know that microbubbles can be injected safely into the bloodstream, and ultrasound from outside the body can be used to make them vibrate vigorously. We aim to harness this to disrupt and weaken the infection.  

This is a truly interdisciplinary project, bringing together a bioengineer, a biofilm expert, an organ culture expert, a chemist and an orthopaedic surgeon. We also have an established collaboration and legal agreement with global MedTech company GE Healthcare, who has expressed interest in licencing arising technology.  

This project will benefit from Southampton’s rich expertise in bubble technology and biofilms. We’ve been using bubble acoustics to transform medicine for years, including co-authoring the current guidelines for every foetal ultrasonic scan in the world since 2008. And Southampton’s own Professor Jeremy Webb is co-director of the National Biofilms Innovation Centre which aims to bring researchers together to identify new breakthroughs in tackling biofilms. 

Supervisor: Professor Nick Evans, Bioengineering

Secondary supervisors: Dr Seung Lee, Chemistry; Professor Jeremy Webb, Professor of Microbiology; Dr Janos Kanczler, Medicine.