Examining the impact of antimicrobial actives on oral bacteria
Working with Haleon to investigate the types of changes that common healthcare products cause to the oral microbiome.
Can you share a brief outline of a recent knowledge exchange activity with an external partner?
My group is currently carrying out a third PhD studentship with Haleon (formerly GSK consumer healthcare). There is a community of microorganisms known as the oral microbiome that lives naturally in the mouth. It includes many different types of bacteria, viruses and fungi and the make-up of the community changes in response to healthcare products such as mouthwash. Genetic changes in microorganisms happen naturally over time but if this leads to resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines, infections can become difficult to treat.
This project aims to understand more about the types of changes that common healthcare products cause to the oral microbiome. We hope to find out how the microbiome changes with sub-lethal doses of antimicrobials that would be present in the hours after every mouthwash use. The project also focuses on characterising how bacteria that we are making tolerant to the antimicrobial change their gene expression and response to antibiotics as a result, which links to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). Finally, we are improving imaging of mixed species plural (spp) biofilms (communities of microorganisms, consisting of different species, that stick to each other and to a surface) to examine responses.
What motivated you to work with this partner?
We have a long standing collaboration with Haleon/ GSK. Our original encounter was meeting at the British Society for Oral and Dental Research conference, which led to a relationship that we built up over several years. They are good collaborators, who are genuinely interested in advancing oral science to support product development. Haleon's insight into practical usage and regulatory affairs is invaluable as an academic researcher and enriches the training of our students too.
How did you engage with them?
Through joint collaborative research activity and co-supervision of PhD students.
What benefits have you seen as a result of this, both for your research and more widely?
Both tangible research funding for PhD science and publications of joint papers are common with these collaborators. The student involved gains broad training, including a placement at Haleon. We also gain insight from industrial focused collaborators and the work may benefit marketing of products in the future. Opportunities for future funding are tangible and often discussed.
To discuss knowledge exchange and partnership opportunities with the Florey Institute, please contact us via scienceke@sheffield.ac.uk in the first instance. For academic collaboration opportunities, please direct your initial enquiry to a member of the Florey Management Board.