Novel Marine Biomolecules against Biofilm (NoMorFilm)

Duration

01/04/2015 - 31/12/2019

Coordinator

Sara Soto

Funded by

Horizon 2020 (European Commission)

Website

http://www.nomorfilm.eu

Over 800,000 prostheses, and an even higher number of catheters, are inserted in patients in the European Union every year. Out of these patients, 7.5% suffer from a post-implant infection. A new surgical intervention to replace the implant is then required with a cost that oscillates between 30,000 and 50,000 euros per patient, depending on the country.

The bacteria and fungi found in infected prostheses do not respond to conventional antibiotics because these pathogens proliferate on the surfaces of the prostheses, or on the inside of the catheters, forming a microbial film called biofilm for which there is no pharmacological treatment. Hence, the search for new effective antibiotics that prevent the formation of biofilm and the resulting replacement of prostheses is of vital importance.

NoMorFilm is a project focused on the search for new biomolecules based on microalgae with antibiotic and antibiofilm activity, which could be incorporated into the prostheses or catheters during the manufacturing process, and thus avoid the complications that can arise after they have been inserted into the patient.