INSAPANT · Innovative tools to use south African plant extract in advanced delivery systems for antibacterial applications

Multidrug-resistant bacteria are becoming implicated more frequently in acute and chronic infections. Bacteria often live together in a biofilm community, which makes it easier for bacteria to become resistant to different classes of antibiotics. This poses a severe threat to global public health, and the fact that antibiotics have many side effects makes the situation even worse. It is imperative to search for novel, safe, and effective antimicrobial agents and robust drug delivery strategies. In INSAPANT, South African plants will be employed for the green synthesis of biogenic nanoparticles, and their antibacterial potential against biofilm associated with multidrug-resistant bacteria will be investigated.The main goal of the INSAPANT is to exploit a synergic therapeutic approach by designing a novel delivery system targeted with aptamers that will carry the biogenic nanoparticles selectively on site of action and protect them following systemic administration. This combinatorial strategy can potentially remove the biofilm in a manner that is more efficient than a passive release or the administration of the content alone.INSAPANT has significant social benefits since it has the potential to lead to the creation of a unique drug delivery system for the treatment of biofilm formation and, ultimately, the reduction of mortality caused by bacterial infections.The INSAPANT fellowship will contribute to i) Expose the researcher to a multidisciplinary and intersectoral research network and foster excellence in research; ii) Improve the researcher's project management and fundraising skills; iii) Enhance the researcher's communication, dissemination, and exploitation of results, as well as Transfer of Knowledge to various audiences; and iv) Boost the researcher's career development skills.