Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Problem
On September 18, 2014, President Obama issued Executive Order 13676, entitled “Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria”. It underscores the pressing need for antibiotic alternatives, as our dependence on them has led to massively increased antibiotic resistance. At the current rate, most modern antibiotics would be obsolete within a few decades. Research on bacteriophages is crucial and will impact millions of people and animals who are at risk of bacterial infection. A bacteriophage is a virus that specifically targets particular bacterial strains.
Biofilm-forming bacteria are a growing threat to public health because of their immunity to disinfectants. Formation of a biofilm allows for extra protection for the bacteria due to the biofilm's extracellular matrix of polymeric substances. Biofilm-forming bacteria are prevalent in the food-processing industry. They are able to evade most sterilizing detergents, leaving people susceptible to infection via cross contamination in food products. This leaves businesses defenseless against dangerous bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes. For example, the ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries issued massive recalls of their products in 2015 and 2016 due to outbreaks of listeriosis.
Our Solution
Research shows that bacteriophage viruses have the ability to eliminate bacteria such as Listeria and Salmonella as well as break down biofilms. Team Phage stands for bacteriophage, as our research aims to use bacteriophages in a cocktail with other helpful antibacterial agents to target these biofilms and fight further outbreaks of Listeria and Salmonella. A mixture of bacteriophage strains is being tested against the biofilms and optimized for sterilization of food processing equipment. Delivery methods will be tested and a final product of phage and non-phage components will be created that will be applicable to the food-processing industry. The objective is to market the product to industry companies to curtail future losses from bacterial outbreaks.
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https://www.facebook.com/TeamPHAGE/
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Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.
This donation will help us buy boxes of latex gloves. The use of gloves in a lab prevents the risk of contamination and ensures the safety of team members when in the lab.
This donation will help us buy pipette tips which are necessary for lab work.The team will send you a personalized thank you email describing what your donation purchased.
This donation will help us buy petri dishes, which we plate bacteria and phage on every day. The team will also send you a personalized thank you email describing what your donation purchased and we will send you future emails updating you on the status of our project.
With this donation, we can pay for one person’s transportation to an academic conference to discuss our work in the field of bacteriophages and learn more about the state of the field. The team will send you a handwritten thank you note in addition to future emails updating you on the status of our project.
This donation will help us purchase BHI or LB media, which are necessary to create plates for bacterial or viral samples. The team will send you a handwritten thank you note in addition to future emails updating you on the status of our project. We will also give you a shoutout on our Facebook and Twitter pages and acknowledge your donation in our final thesis paper.
This donation will help us buy pipettes which will help us prepare serial dilutions and achieve multiplicity of infection ratios. The team will also send you a personalized thank you email describing what your donation purchased and we will send you future emails updating you on the status of our project, and a shoutout on our Twitter!
With this donation we can purchase a sample of bacteriophages. The team will send you a handwritten thank you note, future emails updating you on the status of our project, and a shoutout on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Additionally, we will acknowledge your donation in our final thesis paper and send you a copy.
With this donation we can send a member of our team to the 2017 Universitas 21 Undergraduate Research Conference in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh. The team will send you a handwritten thank you note, future emails updating you on the status of our project, and a shoutout on our Facebook and Twitter pages. Additionally, we will acknowledge your donation in our final thesis paper and send you a copy.