James Butler

My interests are in infection, biofilm formation, antimicrobial development and antimicrobial resistance. I also have some involvement through my PhD project with materials science and surface chemistry. 

PhD project title: "Development of a novel antibacterial silver nanocoating to reduce nosocomial infections"

PhD project supervisors: Dr Alexander Besinis, Professor Mathew Upton, Dr Lewis Jones (University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust), Dr Alistair Cree.

Nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are leading priorities for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. A major microbial reservoir and source of nosocomial infections is the hospital sanitary plumbing system (SPS), for example sink traps and U-bends on hospital wards. Bacteria in these environments form biofilms, complex polymicrobial communities which secrete extracellular polymeric substances to lend protection and promote persistence, while also facilitating horizontal gene transfer (allowing spread of antibiotic resistance genes). Biofilms release bacteria naturally and when physically disrupted; these released bacteria can be transported away from the initial biofilm by formation of airborne particles such as droplets and bioaerosols. Upon exposure to patients, particularly vulnerable or immunologically compromised individuals, these bacteria can cause morbidity and mortality. Metal nanoparticles offer a potential solution to the problems of bacterial surface colonisation and biofilm formation due to their intrinsic antibacterial and antibiofilm activity, potentially greater longevity and efficacy compared to traditional disinfectants, and ability to be applied to surfaces as an antimicrobial nanocoating. In my PhD project, I aim to develop metal nanoparticle-based coating for application to plumbing polymers such as PVC, assess this nanocoating for its antibacterial and antibiofilm properties in vitro, and later conduct in situ testing of the nanocoating in real-life hospital environments.