Dr. Suci is an Associate Research Professor in the Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology department. He has close affiliations with both the Center for Biofilm Engineering and the Center for BioInspired Nanomaterials at MSU. His research involves understanding biofilm resistance to antimicrobials and developing nanoplatforms for targeting biofilm infections with imaging agents and antimicrobials
Biofilms are structured communities of microbes that colonize both engineered and tissue surfaces. Biofilm infections are notoriously difficult to both eradicate and diagnose. I have on-going projects that approach control of biofilms from two perspectives. The more fundamental project is directed at understanding the subpopulation structure of Candida albicans biofilm infections, including a small subpopulation that confers exceptional resistance to the biofilm; the more applied project consists of engineering protein cage nanoparticles for imaging and treatment of biofilm infections. I am exploiting nanoengineering techniques directed at diagnosis and treatment of cancers to develop nanoplatforms based on protein cage architectures as vehicles for targeting biofilms with imaging agents, photosensitizers and/or drugs. Details of studies demonstrating targeted delivery of imaging agents and a photosensitizer are published in two articles (Suci et al., Chemistry & Biology, 2007; Suci et al., 2007, Langmuir). Fabrication of a nanoplatform as a vehicle for targeted, triggered release of antimicrobials (chlorhexidine or tetracycline) is on-going. Understanding C. albicans biofilm infections in terms of functional subpopulations C. albicans is the most prominent human fungal pathogen. It is particularly prevalent in nosocomial infections. As an opportunistic pathogen it infects primarily immunocompromised patients such as those receiving chemotherapy or patients with HIV. Common superficial forms of candidiasis include thrush and vaginal candidiasis. Infection of the blood, leading to disseminated candidiasis, is lethal in approximately 50% of the cases. C. albicans readily forms biofilms. A major source of blood stream infections is caused by dissemination from biofilms that colonize biomedical implants, especially ventricular assist devices, urinary, peritoneal and vascular catheters. Motivated primarily by this impact on health care, there is currently a substantial effort being directed at understanding the genetic and physiological factors that contribute to C. albicans biofilm formation. The broad hypothesis that I am developing is that specialization in the biofilm community goes beyond the obvious visual differences in morphological types, and that within the subpopulations classified as yeast and hyphal forms specialized phenotypes that optimize community survival are elaborated. Thus far I (and collaborators) have identified specialized subpopulations that may play specific functional roles in resistance or dissemination (see Suci & Tyler, 2002; Khot et al., 2006; Sellam et al, 2009).
Development of nanoplatforms for diagnosis and treatment of biofilm infections
