Objectives
The project seeks to overcome the challenges posed by bacteria in biofilms and the slow pace of development of new antimicrobial strategies.
BactEradiX aims at developing a modular and tunable antimicrobial nanoplatform able to target the extracellular matrix of bacterial biofilms.
The BactEradiX advanced nanomaterials will be developed by focusing on two WHO priority bacterial strains: methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa.
Impact
- Expanding knowledge on the nucleic acid component of bacterial biofilms
- Expanding knowledge on artificial oligonucleotide design with antimicrobial activity
- Addressing global challenges and unmet clinical needs of infectious diseases
- Responding quickly to threats from new emerging bacteria and antimicrobial resistant strains
- Reducing infectious diseases healthcare costs and improving patients’ quality of life with the development of new antibiotics based on BactEradiX
- Providing a major boost to the creation of a new market based on antibacterial based on artificial oligonucleotides
Workplan
The project is structured into nine work packages (WPs), with five dedicated to scientific research (WP2, WP3, WP4, WP5, and WP6) and focusing on key objectives including the characterization of Z-DNA in biofilms formed by priority pathogens (WP2, led by UNIPG), the development of artificial oligonucleotides that specifically interact with biofilm Z-DNA (WP3, led by UNIPR), and the development of lipid nanoparticles decorated with Z-DNA-targeting artificial oligonucleotides (WP4, led by UNIBO). Furthermore, antimicrobial antigene artificial oligonucleotides will be developed, evaluated (WP5, led by BIORIDIS) and loaded into decorated lipid nanoparticles (WP6, led by KI). Finally, BactEradiX nanoplatform will be validated to demonstrate its efficacy in real world conditions (WP6).
To ensure that the project outcomes will be not only scientifically impactful but also commercially viable, an economic evaluation and a business model will be developed (WP8, led by UNL).
The three remaining WPs (WP1, WP7, WP9) address non-scientific aspects of the project. WP1 focuses on project coordination, WP7 on dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities, and WP9 on Ethics. WP7 (led by INN-ACTA) plays a pivotal role in overcoming shared challenges, enhancing the project’s impact within the scientific community, fostering collaboration across the EU research landscape, and creating new business opportunities.