Research Projects

The colonization of the bacterial population in biomedical implants and infection at the implant-tissue interface leads to implant failure, surgery, and re-implantation. As a result, the tissue repairing or regeneration is also futile. Most of the existing therapeutics are ineffective mainly due to the emergence of multiple drug resistance MDR and adverse toxic side effects. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop smart surface modification strategies for protecting implants from MDR infections. The proposed project aims to develop a novel coating formulation consisting of natural polyphenol tannic acid, tailor-made polyurethane, and 2D-nanomaterial MXenes for synergistic triple-mode antibacterial action. In this formulation, tannic acid and polymer will be exploited as adhesive agents to tether MXenes and antibiotics on implant surfaces. As a whole, this strategy will develop novel coating technology for implants without any antibiotics to promote MDR as well as tissue regeneration at low cost.