Bacterial adhesion to host epithelial cells is a critical first step in infection. Antibiotics are often employed as treatment for infections, posing a challenge given the global rise in antibiotic resistance. Tetraspanins, a family of transmembrane proteins, play a central role in infection. This project aims to explore an antibiotic alternative, utilising a peptide derived from CD9, a tetraspanin found on the surface of human cells. We have previously demonstrated that treatment of monolayers of endometrial and respiratory epithelial cells with this peptide significantly reduces bacterial adhesion. This finding suggests that disrupting CD9 may be a promising anti-adhesion strategy, potentially providing a novel therapeutic strategy to prevent infection at its earliest stages, addressing the urgent need for antibiotic alternatives. To achieve this, we intend to characterise expression of CD9 in oral epithelial cells, as both monolayers and 3D oral epithelial equivalents, using fluorescent microscopy, and perform bacterial adhesion assays, using canonical and non-canonical oral pathogens, to investigate the effect to the CD9-derived peptide. Students will be provided with all necessary training for successful project completion. Students will need to find their own accommodation and be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York in September 2025.