The use of biomaterial implants in the human body to treat injured bones often carries the risk of biomaterial-associated infections (BAIs). A considerable amount of data on BAIs is already available in the literature, which seems to be valuable for evaluating different types of biomaterials and coatings on their surface. However, the lack of standardization of preparation procedures for data collection or analysis makes it challenging to conduct systematic comparative studies with these data, which in turn limits the ability to gain new knowledge and prevents the reproduction of results. This applies not only to experimental data, but also to simulated data, including that generated by machine learning and image analysis.

To address these issues, we aim to develop a minimal information standard that combines experimental data, simulated data, and selected literature for the study of microbe and cell-material interactions. In order to harmonize different types of relevant materials and processes, a material ontology specifically for antimicrobial biomaterials is developed and based on the PMD Core Ontology (PMDco) [1] and the Devices, Experimental scaffolds and Biomaterials Ontology (DEB) [2] as mid-level ontologies as well as the Minimum Information Reporting in Bio–Nano Experimental Literature (MIRIBEL) standard.[3]

Standardized data will be stored in a web-based semantic knowledge base (SKB) to facilitate data collection and organization to improve reproducibility and comparability across studies. The SKB will further support the analysis and prediction of effective antimicrobial biomaterials and provide interfaces for automated data transfer to image analysis workflows, reducing technical barriers for researchers performing image analyses.

References

[1] B. Bayerlein, M. Schilling, H. Birkholz, M. Jung, J. Waitelonis, L. Mädler, H. Sack, Materials & Design, 2024, 237, 112603.

[2] O. Hakimi, J. L. Gelpi, M. Krallinger, F. Curi, D. Repchevsky, M. P. Ginebra, Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, 30, 1909910.

[3] M. Faria, M. Björnmalm, K. J. Thurecht, S. J. Kent, R. G. Parton, M. Kavallaris, A. P. R. Johnston, J. J. Gooding, S. R. Corrie, B. J. Boyd, P. Thordarson, A. K. Whittaker, M. M. Stevens, C. A. Prestidge, C. J. H. Porter, W. J. Parak, T. P. Davis, E. J. Crampin, F. Caruso, Nature nanotechnology, 2018, 13, 777-785.