As
a mechanical engineering graduate from South Dakota Mines, Joree Sandin never expected to do medical
research, but the 2018 graduate has spent the past two years focused on antibiotic
resistant infections.
“Three
or four years ago, as a mechanical engineering major at Mines, I would never
have imagined that I would have gained this experience … my car took a random
exit toward this bio world and I’m so glad it did,” she says.
Sandin
recently completed her master’s in mechanical engineering from the University
of Kentucky College of Engineering.
She returned to Mines in October to co-present the research seminar, “A
Mechanical Engineer’s Approach to Bacterial Infections,” alongside Dr.
Martha E. Grady,
assistant professor in mechanical engineering at UK and lead researcher on the
work.
The
UK research Sandin has been a part of focuses on biofilm formations,
specifically in dental care.
Biofilms
are a collection of microorganisms that grow on surfaces. The microorganisms
that make up biofilms can include bacteria, protists and fungi. “Biofilms are really
everywhere,” Sandin says. “You can find a biofilm on your shower curtain right
now.”
Unfortunately,
biofilm bacteria have a much greater resistance to antibiotics, and the strain
of biofilm bacteria is the main cause of cavities and oral infections in humans,
Sandin says.
Biofilms
are particularly an issue for people with dental implants - metal posts
that are screwed into the jawbone. Artificial teeth are then attached to the
posts to replace missing or damaged teeth. Sandin says biofilm formations can
interfere with the “integration of the screw into the jaw bone,” often requiring
additional treatment, including surgery.
Biofilm formations account for 17 million
infections and 550,000 deaths in the United States each year. They are
especially prevalent in implantology, accounting for nearly 500,000 cases each
year.
The
challenge is to control the infections that come from biofilm formations either
by developing a therapeutic treatment once the infection occurs or by
developing surfaces that prevent the biofilms from forming, Sandin says. To do
that, scientists must understand their properties, including how thick the
bacteria is and how adhesive they are to surfaces.
“The main goal is to understand these
properties so that we can develop new devices that would be less receptive to
the biofilms,” she says. Another option is the development of a coating for
devices like dental implants that would prevent attachment.
One
of the greatest challenges in studying these characteristics is the size of the
bacteria - just one micron in length. By comparison, the thickness of a human
hair is between 50 and 100 microns.
To
adequately study the properties of bacteria, the research team has developed a
technique – Conpokal - using nearly simultaneous laser scanning confocal and
atomic force microscopy on live cells. An atomic force microscope will allow a
scientist to observe live cells and collect mechanical properties. A laser
scanning microscope uses fluorescence optics. Rather than “illuminating the
whole sample at once, laser light is focused onto a defined spot at a specific
depth within the sample,” according to the company ibidi.
“This
allows us to look at cells and bacteria in live form,” Sandin says. “There are
less than 10 of these instruments in the world.”
With
her graduate degree complete, Sandin has future plans to get her Ph.D. First,
however, she hopes to work for a few years in a field that combines mechanical
engineering and biology.
"Understanding
how a mechanical engineer approaches the biology realm, such as in my bacteria
research, has shown me how ME and bio are truly connected. I’m interested to
see and learn how ME expands to other tissues, perhaps bones or organs, with
prosthetics and medical implants,” Sandin says. “I'd love to work in an area
where I can help others - preventing infections, restoring movement, improving
health - and biomechanics is the perfect route for combining my passion for ME
and helping others. I’m thankful for the paths that have led me to South Dakota
Mines and University of Kentucky for the opportunities that have guided my
solid foundation for my future career."