Chemistry professor’s research could help you avoid getting sick all the time
It’s 7 am, and you just woke up an hour before class, only to find out you have a sore throat.
“Is it possible to stop getting sick so often?” you wonder.
The answer is yes.
Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Brian Cavitt discovered through research that it’s possible to stop infections before they even begin by disrupting biological formation in medical devices such as catheters.
Cavitt was inspired to work on this project after the 2004 tsunami that struck the Indian coast and through his work in Indonesian hospitals. He noticed an increase in infection rates and discovered that bacteria procreate primarily through biofilms, which are colonies of microfilms that stick to surfaces, such as catheters and implants.
“Healthcare-associated infections are a billion-dollar industry each year,” said Cavitt during Faculty Research Day, who acknowledges that this project would help reduce medical costs and lost wages.
Cavitt has led a group of over 30 undergraduate researchers in advancing this work during his classes, by examining samples of water, for instance.
Urinary catheters account for over half of healthcare-associated infections, so if this project succeeds, it will have a significant impact on quality of life.
“I have a grandpa who’s had multiple surgeries where he’s had to have a catheter, and he’s had complications related to his catheter,” said Braxton White, a senior biology education major from Manchester, TN. “If we can, in any way, minimize those effects, then I would be very grateful for that.”
Cavitt is now looking at the next step, which will be pitching this idea to some of the healthcare providers in Nashville, and he hopes to incentivize companies to begin production.
