Trialect

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Clinical and Health Sciences - Pharmacy

International Medical University

With considerable advances made in modern medical technology, medical devices such as artificial implants, pacemakers, prosthetic joints, and catheters, play an increasingly important role in healthcare. Despite precautionary strategies employed in hospitals, bacterial infections on these devices still happen frequently. Among the major causes of medical device infection is Staphylococcus aureus which is capable of forming device-associated biofilms. The biofilms act as a protective layer, allowing cells inside the biofilm to be protected against external stresses such as antimicrobials and the host immune defenses. Therefore, biofilms further complicate treatment available for infections caused by these multi-drug resistant S. aureus. The project aims to develop an antibacterial and antibiofilm nanoformulation against methicillin-resistant and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and VISA, respectively).

Main Areas of Interest

There are two main areas in this project:

pharmaceutical chemistry in the first phase of the project in which the chitosan-based nanoparticles will be prepared and characterized
medical microbiology in the following phase after the successful preparation and characterization of the nanoparticles in which the chitosan-based nanoparticles will be evaluated for antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against reference strains and clinical isolates of S. aureus

Techniques You Will Learn

The preparation and characterization of the nanoparticles will involve the following techniques:

general chemistry techniques – centrifugation, sonification, titration, etc
microscopy – scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy
spectroscopy – attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy
X-ray diffractometer

The evaluation of the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities of the nanoparticles will involve general microbiology techniques to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC). The metabolism of the bacterial cells in the biofilm will be evaluated using the bacterial vitality kit and based on the manufacturer’s protocol.

Curriculum

For a duration of 12 weeks, the proposed timeline for the project (curriculum) is as follows:

Activity	Duration (weeks)
Preparation of chitosan nanoparticles Morphological characterization of nanoparticles X-ray diffraction pattern Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra Statistical analysis	4
Evaluation of particle size and zeta potential of nanoparticles Drug encapsulation In vitro release test Statistical analysis	2
Evaluation of MIC, MBC and MBEC on planktonic cells and biofilm of MRSA and VISA Microdilution assay Crystal violet assay Statistical analysis	3
Evaluation of antibiofilm effect SEM Live/dead assay Statistical analysis	3
Total	12

Accommodation

There is accommodation, mainly condominiums, available within walking distance from the university. The rate for a single room ranges from RM800 to RM1500, depending on the size and furnishing of the room and condominium unit.

Fees and Program Logistics

This program has the following durations available:

Duration	Fee
2 weeks	$625.00
4 weeks	$1,000.00
8 weeks	$1,500.00

This program allows Merit Applications. This program allows merit-based applications for virtual and onsite clinical and research programs. If you are successfully awarded under this category, Trialect or the host mentor will cover the tuition fee only. All applications will be evaluated based on merit. Due to the high level of competition, the chances of being selected under the merit category are quite limited.

Who Can Apply

Bachelor of Science or Masters of Science (Pharmaceutical Chemistry/ Chemistry/related discipline)
Hands-on experience in basic chemistry and microbiology techniques
Good communication skills in both spoken and written English
Work independently and in a team

Host Details

Host Name: International Medical University

Affiliation: International Medical University

Address: 126 Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, MY, 57000

Website URL: https://www.imu.edu.my/

Disclaimer:It is mandatory that all applicants carry workplace liability insurance, e.g., https://www.protrip-world-liability.com (Erasmus students use this package and typically costs around 5 € per month - please check) in addition to health insurance when you join any of the onsite Trialect partnered fellowships.

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Onsite/On-Campus Program

Fellowship - Basic/Translational/Clinical Research Program

Malaysia

Application Review Deadline:

Dec 1st, 2024

Apply Now

Program Logistics and Administrative Fees

This program has the following durations available:

Duration	Fee
2 weeks	$625.00
4 weeks	$1,000.00
8 weeks	$1,500.00

Questions and Answers

Commonly asked questions about this program from the host and other attendees.

Will I be supervised throughout the duration of the fellowship?

Supervision will be provided by experts in the disciplines required for this research project. However, you are expected to be able to work independently and be involved in brainstorming and troubleshooting to a certain extent.