DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our goal of this investigation is to develop a new class of antibacterial nanoparticle titanate-metal complexes. Micro titanate-metal complexes have been shown to have antimicrobial activity. At present, there are no data on the interactions of nanoparticle titanate with bacteria and on the antibacterial properties of metal ions of Au(III), Pd(II), and Pt(IV). The central hypothesis of this investigation is that nanoparticle titanate-metal complexes that are incorporated into a dental bonding resin will inhibit cariogenic bacterial growth in a biofilm adjacent to the tooth/composite restoration interface without compromising resin-tooth bonding. The proposed work is innovative, because it capitalizes on a new class of titanate-metal complexes as antibacterial agents. In addition, biofilm population dynamics with respect to tooth/composite restoration interface will be quantified non-invasively by Mab-conjugated quantum dots. There are only three such reports on bacterial biofilms and none applied to cariogenic bacteria. The combination of the work proposed is expected to allow the clinicians to tackle the composite longevity problem at the weakest interface. By exploring the interactions between titanate-metal complexes and bacteria biofilm, we will bridge a major gap in knowledge about a new class of titanate-metal complexes antibacterials. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Our investigation will develop a new class of antibacterial nanoparticle titanate-metal complexes of Au(III), Pd(II), and Pt(IV). We will incorporate this titanate-metal complexes into a dental bonding resin, which will inhibit cariogenic bacterial growth in a biofilm adjacent to the tooth/composite restoration interface. We will study the biofilm collected both in the laboratory and from human subjects with multi-photon laser microscopy.

PROJECT NARRATIVES Our investigation will develop a new class of antibacterial nanoparticle titanate-metal complexes of Au(III), Pd(II), and Pt(IV). We will incorporate this titanate-metal complexes into a dental bonding resin, which will inhibit cariogenic bacterial growth in a biofilm adjacent to the tooth/composite restoration interface. We will study the biofilm collected both in the laboratory and from human subjects with multi-photon laser microscopy.