UC chemistry, P&G collaborate on antibacterial research

Students at the University of Cincinnati are helping a Fortune 500 company to develop new and better ways to study how antibacterial agents work.

Chemistry students in UC’s College of Arts and Sciences are working with Cincinnati-based consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble in its research & development lab in Mason.

Working with UC Assistant Professor Pietro Strobbia, chemistry grads Der Vang and Manisha Sheokand used nanoparticles to identify the molecular composition of bacteria using tools that measure color and light called spectroscopy.

Antibiotic- and antibacterial-resistant bacteria continue to pose a global health threat. Understanding how antibacterial agents work against particular bacteria is crucial for developing precise and novel treatment methods.

“The study uses tiny star-shaped particles made of gold and silver called nanostars. When a laser shines on bacteria treated with antibacterial agents , the nanostars increase the signal in a unique way,” said Vang, the lead author of a study on the project published in the journal ACS Sensors.

“The nanostars work as an antenna for light,” Strobbia said. “If you mix that with bacteria, the light you get back is stronger and has molecular info about the bacteria.”

“When you treat a bacteria, there are different ways it can stress and kill it,” said Tom Cambron, a study co-author and director and principal scientist at P&G. “These are all known processes. But understanding which or how many are in play for different ingredients is not an easy thing to do.”

Vang said the nanostar method is faster than traditional methods of studying the response of bacteria. And by studying the bacteria at the molecular level, they can get a more detailed understanding of the most effective properties to apply for the best results.

“For companies like P&G, it holds the promise of accelerating product development, reducing research costs and enhancing product efficacy,” Vang said.

“We’ve developed a new and novel technique that complements the traditional methods we have,” Cambron said.

The project was funded through the P&G Digital Accelerator at UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub, the university’s dedicated center for industry, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs.

UC and P&G are hardly strangers in the field of chemistry. P&G is a global consumer goods leader that makes a wide range of household products from laundry detergent to toilet paper to soaps. Many UC students work in internships or co-ops or go on to a myriad of careers at the publicly traded company.

UC’s Sheokand is pursuing a doctoral degree in chemistry.

“Working with P&G gave me a real sense of how industry operates — fast-moving, collaborative and driven by impact. It was an inspiring experience that broadened my perspective,” she said.