The Textile Services Association (TSA-UK) has been awarded a Collaborative Training Partnership (CTP) grant that will help fund the next stage of ongoing research into the microbiology of commercial and domestic washing. The project, carried out in collaboration with De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), aims to learn more about biofilms formation within wash systems.
TRSA has partnered with TSA-UK and DMU on several research projects. The latest, titled Domestic laundering of healthcare textiles: Disinfection efficacy and risks of antibiotic resistance transmission, was overseen by Professor Katie Laird of DMU. It was published on April 30 in the open-access journal PLOS One. Click here for details of the research.
The latest round of funding was granted by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC). The BBSRC is the UK’s main funder of bioscience research while NBIC is the UK’s national center for biofilm research.
The new funding will allow the DMU research team led by Professor Laird and Dr. Ray Allan to appoint two additional PhD students to build on the work already undertaken by Microbiology PhD student Jake Dunlop.
“We’ve been working on this research for over five years,” said Professor Laird. “It’s fantastic that we can continue to progress our knowledge around the bioscience of industrial and domestic washing. It’s especially exciting that this new phase is aimed at looking at solving some of the challenges we’ve highlighted so far with our research.”
TSA-UK is planning an Information Day which will give attendees comprehensive information about the importance of this research, highlighting the challenges posed by biofilms to the linen, uniform and facility services industry. The day will include presentations from Simon Fry, chair of Micronclean; Professor Katie Laird and Dr. Ray Allan from DMU; and representatives from NBIC and the Biofilm Alliance. Following the event, a steering group will be appointed to drive the project for the benefit of the global laundry industry.
The Information Day will take place on July 23 at the Leicester Marriot Hotel. Anyone interested in attending should contact Stevens at david.stevens@tsa-uk.org.
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