URACHEMPLASMActiv

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can develop when catheters are placed in bed-ridden patients and are the most frequent type of infection (30%) among hospital-acquired infections. Various research teams are working to counter this problem, but no ideal solution has yet been found. In response to this urgent need, we are developing greener chemistry methods for functionalizing polymer surfaces. The essence of our project is the combination of atmospheric cold plasma activation with the chemical grafting of bio-sourced molecules with antibiofilm properties. Three teams are involved: 1) SM2ViE from ICMMO develops functionalized surfaces and will be responsible for grafting bio-sourced antibacterial compounds onto a PDMS surface, using cold plasma activation as an eco-responsible grafting technology. 2) DIREBIO from LPGP, which develops pulsed plasma jets, has already shown that cold plasma can be generated in long capillaries filled with gas at atmospheric pressure; it will take charge of the technological development of a plasma capable of activating the inner surface of a 40 cm-long PDMS catheter. 3) MBCM at I2BC will conduct microbiological tests on the modified surfaces to assess their anti-biofilm properties. Beyond the application, fundamental work will be carried out: we will focus on the creation of plasma in different atmospheres (noble gases + H2O, O2), aiming at the efficient production of radicals along the capillary (emission and absorption spectroscopies) and on the interaction of plasma with the inner surface of the tube (intensified fast imaging). We will also seek to gain a better insight into the grafting mechanism of bio-sourced molecules, and part of the project will be devoted to the detection of organic species created by the action of plasma on the tube surface (SM CI-FTICR).