Anthony Santostafano
Undergraduate College/University: George Washington University
I work under Dr. Stephen Walker. I studied the efficacy of dispersin B and dnase I in degrading matrix components of S. aureus, S. epi, and E. faecalis biofilms, thus releasing cells into suspension. E. faecalis biofilms are known to be a cause of secondary endodontic infections, and DNA is believed to be a substantial component of the biofilm's extracellular matrix. Biofilms confer resistance to killing by antimicrobial agents not seen by cells in planktonic form, and so this could be a method of increasing sensitivity of E. faecalis to endodontic therapies.
