b'PREVENT devices that have a long life span and require minimal The Prevent theme focuses on the prevention ofmaintenance also offers considerable opportunities early-stage microbial adhesion and colonisationfor innovation. Addressing these challenges will bring events at surfaces and interfaces and curtailing theexciting new technologies for safer medical devices, development and maturation of early-stage biofilms.better healthcare, early intervention and control Both aspects provide a powerful strategy to stop thestrategies across a range of biofilm challenges from problem at the onset. Specifically, NBIC provides awater contamination and microbial induced corrosion unique forum for accelerating academic-industryto antibiotic-resistant infections. partnerships that allows prevention-based researchLead Organisation: University of Southamptonapproaches to be translated into innovation across multiple industrial and healthcare sectors. Prevent is aMANAGEbroad theme and NBICs activities are concentrated onThe mission of the Manage theme is to understand a number of key areas. A major focus is the design ofthe mechanisms governing biofilm life cycle dynamics surfaces, coatings and materials to prevent microbialand development, their physicochemical properties, adhesion, microbial transfer and/or biofilm formation.and levels of complexity, in order to enhance the ability Intrinsically anti-adhesion surfaces that rely onto kill, remove or control established biofilms across designed chemistries, rheology or topographies area range of environments. Through development of being created for medical devices, marine anti-fouling,bespoke biofilm model systems, the integration of paints and personal care applications. Allied to thismulti-omics, state of the art imaging, rheology analysis effort is the use of novel actives, repurposed drugs,of biofilms of increasing complexity with modelling and etc to create novel antimicrobial coatings. A secondin situ validation, we will gain a unique understanding focus is the use of physical, chemical or electrochemicalof the mechanisms governing the interaction between perturbations with applications involving light-based,biofilms and their environment. This knowledge will plasma, ultrasound and ozone delivery systems toguide the design of novel strategies including the use of prevent biofilm survival. Such applications are beingchemical, biological and physical interventions coupled developed for healthcare, food and agriculture,with robust delivery systems, which can effectively and construction applications. The Prevent themeinterfere with the development and viability of complex also exploits bio-inspired and biomolecule-basedbiofilms in their natural environment. approaches, e.g., hijacking quorum sensing or nutrientLead Organisation: University of Nottinghamuptake mechanisms. Integral to this theme is the use and development of advanced physical andENGINEERbiological characterisation techniques to lay down theThe vision of the Engineer theme is the control of foundations of knowledge-based design. For example,biofilms in industrial environments and large-scale the Prevent theme exploits a range of surface andinfrastructure, and the engineering of bespoke materials characterisation techniques combined withbiofilms for targeted applications, potentially with biological imaging and bioassays to create knowledge- the additional benefit of synthetic biology tools and based correlations that can be iterated to highapproaches. The ability to engineer bespoke microbial performance interfaces.communities is in its relative infancy and requires a Lead Organisation: University of Liverpool top-down and bottom-up understanding. By working with industries across sectors, we are building a top-DETECT down understanding of existing microbial platforms NBICs Detect theme focuses on the requirement forand acquiring data to expand our understanding of accurate, quantitative biofilm detection and metrologycommunity composition, function and ecology. By across multiple scales through innovative sensing,performing fundamental interdisciplinary laboratory tracking and diagnostic technologies. Key to thisresearch, we are also developing a bottom-up ambition is the identification and use of new biofilm- understanding of how communities are formed, specific biomarkers including those relevant to biofilm- and the factors that underpin their function and associated antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There isstability. The ability to craft, control and eliminate an urgent need to develop the capability for non- biofilms on demand has been identified through the destructive real-time detection and NBIC is developingNBIC Engineering, Manage and Metals and Microbes new biofilm detection capabilities that will exploit theworkshops as a high priority challenge area for our discovery of biomarkers or provide more sensitiveindustry partners. detection systems. The development of low-cost, easy- Lead Organisation: University of Edinburghto-manufacture, portable, wearable and implantable 2020'