Antimicrobial Integrated Methodologies for orthopaedic applications

AIMed

Financier Institution. H2020-MSCA-ITN-2019 01/01/2020 – 31/12/2024

Beneficiary Institutions and countries/regions involved in the project.

1. University of Birmingham (UK)
2. Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (FR)
3. Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III (FR)
4. Université Polytechnique Hauts de France (FR)
5. Universita degli studi di Trieste (IT)
6. Universidade do Porto (Portugal)
7. Ruder Boskovic Institute (HR)
8. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen Nürnberg (D)
9. Institut pro elektronika na ban – Institute of electronics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BG)
10. Photon Energy GmbH (D)

Associated partner organizations

1. European Ceramic Society (BE)
2. Contact Orthopedic S.A.R.L (F)
3. EONEX medical
4. Swift Analytical Ltd
5. University of Zagreb (HR)
6. Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH (DE)

Summary of AIMed project

AIMed is an Innovative Training Network (ITN) of 10 beneficiaries, 6 partners and 15 early-stage researchers (ESR) aiming to develop new biomaterials that will eventually result in fewer orthopaedic infections, faster recovery of patients, and greatly reduced post-operative healthcare costs. Indeed, nosocomial infections are a major issue for biomaterials incorporation in the human body and reducing them is critical.

AIMed is developing several complementary approaches to:

• Create new antimicrobial metallic, polymeric and ceramic surfaces by the use of chemical and physical surface modification to allow functionalisation of surfaces with antimicrobial peptides, doping with metal ion antibacterial agents and patterning of surfaces at micro and nanoscale to study physical mechanisms underlying antimicrobial action.
• Create novel antimicrobial peptides mimicking the antimicrobial core of human alpha- and beta- defensins to realise antibacterial structures and use of molecular biology techniques to identify and produce the best possible sequences.

AIMed is managing the investigation of the chemical, physical and biological properties of these new materials. To ensure the feasibility of the materials for use in future implants, AIMed is studying antibacterial properties and biocompatibility using appropriate models and standardized techniques. The training of the 15 ESRs is offered through the organization of multi-disciplinary and sectoral schools, workshops and seminars with emphasis on the need for technology transfer from academic institutions to commercial users.