The role of low-virulence bacteria located on prosthetic breast implants in the development of capsular contracture

Gains and perspectives

This project has the prospect of identifying the key mechanisms responsible for the most common complication to breast reconstruction with implants affecting hundreds of patients each year in Denmark alone. Furthermore, by use of a patient group with unilateral capsular contracture, we will be able to isolate otherwise hidden differences in the complex microbial community found on the surface of the implants. This unique perspective has the potential to uncover universally relevant disease-promoting and disease-preventive effects of microbial communities on implanted material. The patient group could be applied as a model system for studying the interplay between bacteria on prosthetic implants and the development of inflammatory processes such as capsular contracture. If successful, this project could provide fundamental advances to the use of prosthetic implants that can be extended to other medical fields.

Professor Søren Johannes Sørensen

I am currently team leader for a group of 12 scientists, 11 phd’s, three technicians and ten master students applying molecular techniques in microbial ecological studies at the Section of Microbiology. My research focuses on social interactions in microbial populations. My group’s studies evaluate the extent of genetic flow within natural communities and their response to environmental perturbations.

The section houses state of the art culture independent experimental infrastructure that enables us to examine how microbes interact at a scale that is relevant for such small organisms and to examine and identify the roles of the individual species that contribute to these interactions.

We investigate how microbes work together in in their natural state such as biofilms and the effect this has on microbial communities in in vivo systems such as human or animal gut, soil, or phase change communities. These are related to our in vitro model systems such as our bioflux biofilm system where we can evaluate our findings and examine phenomenon such as horizontal gene transfer or emergent community properties and evolutionary strategies. To do so we use techniques such as high throughput sequencing, flow cytometry and ultra-high resolution bioimaging or confocal microscopy and microbial reporter systems.

The pioneering work of the section has had been recognized for its impact in diverse areas in which microbial interactions are critical. These include, Soil biodiversity and bioremediation, the role of horizontal gene transfer, human disease progression, the effects of species diversity in plant animal and environmental microbiomes, how microbes interact in evolutionary strategies and the significance of cooperation verses antagonism in microbial systems.

Working in these areas necessitates close collaboration with international scientists from around the world that come to the section and to whom members of the section visit in scientific exchange programs. They span all corners of the globe including Dr. Duncan Veal, Macquarie University, Sydney Australia, Prof A. Spormann, Stanford University, Prof. S. Kjelleberg, University of NSW; Prof. M. Schloter, Helmholtz Zentrum München; and Prof. Md Hans Bisgaard COPSAC back here in Denmark.

These collaborations have helped more than 20 postdocs and 30 past Ph.D. fellows follow their career path both here and around the world to obtain successful positions in both academia and research.