Biological Activity and Permeability Evaluation of Mucoadhesive Polymeric Films Loaded with Prebiotics and Postbiotics for Vaginal Microbiota Rebalancing

• Grant number: 25/23105-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: March 16, 2026
• End date: September 15, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Agostini de Moraes
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Sousa Fonseca
• Supervisor: Thomas Crouzier
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
• Associated to the scholarship: 25/01868-1 - Development of Mucoadhesive Films Loaded with Prebiotics and Postbiotics for Vaginal Microbiota Rebalancing, BP.MS

Abstract

This BEPE project is part of a broader research initiative aimed at developingchitosan-mucin mucoadhesive films loaded with prebiotics and postbiotics forvaginal microbiota rebalancing, an area still underexplored in the literature.While the overall project focuses on creating an innovative therapeutic strategyto promote the reestablishment of a healthy microbiota, the six-month BEPEinternship will specifically address key aspects of the material's efficacy. In thisperiod, the work will concentrate on evaluating the degradation kinetics of themucoadhesive films in an advanced simulated vaginal fluid, their biologicalactivity, and permeability. Antimicrobial assays will be performed againstEscherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus, as well asstudies on the proliferation of beneficial microorganisms (Lactobacillus spp.),essential for maintaining a healthy vaginal microbiota. Furthermore,permeability analyses will investigate the transport of prebiotics and postbioticsthrough the vaginal environment, considering the local application context. Thistargeted approach ensures that the BEPE internship contributes directly tovalidating the functional performance of the developed films within the largerresearch framework. (AU)