Biofilm Engineering Research Group

Biofilms are formed when microorganisms form a community at a solid-liquid interface. The complexity of biofilm metabolic behaviour has simultaneously limited our ability to fully exploit engineered biofilms as versatile biocatalysts as well as limiting our complete understanding of why unwanted biofilms are particularly resistant to antimicrobial agents. Our approach involves a combination of experimental investigations with mathematical modelling. We are particularly interested in the interactions between the physico-chemical microenvironment and microbial physiology. Our group is interdisciplinary and we are engaged in collaborative projects both nationally and internationally.

On-going research projects include:
(1) Investigation of the factors that determine physiological heterogeneity in bacterial biofilms
(2) Development of a novel drug delivery system for biofilm associated infections
(3) Scale-up of the membrane aerated biofilm reactor