PROTEIOS

Protein Tunable Materials for Non-invasive Wound Sensing

 

Description:

Wound infection and inefficient healing are global problems, with a tendency to increase due to aging and limited access to healthcare. Often, when infection is suspected based on clinical signs, it is already established with bacterial biofilms that are difficult to treat, and bloodstream infections may be present. In such cases, the dressing is removed — with associated risks of pain and infection — to invasively obtain samples for later microbiological analysis to identify the pathogen within 12–48 hours.

Wound pH is a well-accepted marker of healing. Healthy skin has an acidic pH (between 4–6), but it becomes alkaline in chronic wounds and in the early stages of infection (pH 7.5–10). There are reported examples of colorimetric and electrochemical sensors for wound pH monitoring. Colorimetric sensors use chemical pH dyes that provide optical readings but have drawbacks such as leaching of toxic dyes and challenges in long-term use. Electrochemical sensors provide high precision; however, they are prone to degradation, toxic component leaching, clogging, and require frequent recalibration.

Wound pH is a reliable indicator of healing progression and early infection onset, but it does not identify the pathogen. Few solutions have been explored to identify pathogens in wounds, mostly based on the measurement of specific enzymatic activities or metabolites in the wound exudate.

Measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by bacteria is an attractive approach. However, currently available solutions operate at high temperatures, use toxic materials with low stability and selectivity, and require sophisticated instrumentation.

Proteins are ideal building blocks for the design and engineering of materials due to the precise control of their genetically encoded amino acid sequence. This sequence regulates self-assembly into ordered hierarchical structures that ultimately determine the final properties of the protein and its derived nanostructures. The sequence–order–function relationship makes proteins an unprecedented tool for generating tunable and designed advanced functional materials.

PROTEIOS will develop the next generation of materials for sensing. These materials will be applied for the non-invasive in situ monitoring of wounds, detecting both pH and pathogen-specific microbial VOCs. By the end of PROTEIOS, a prototype of the first dual-detection wound dressing will be developed and validated in vitro.

PROTEIOS fully aligns with the UN2030 sustainability goals, particularly goals 3, 12, and 14. The multidisciplinary and international PROTEIOS team is composed of senior and early-career researchers from three different institutions, with relevant expertise in the project’s areas.

The impact of PROTEIOS on society, academia, and industry goes far beyond the project itself. A new non-invasive detection technology will be developed, with future applications in the medical, food, safety, environmental, and manufacturing sectors.

 

 

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