Sabbatical to Cardiff, Wales

"Prof. John G Thomas just returned from a 6 Month Sabbatical as  a Visiting Professor at Cardiff Univ School  of Dental Medicine , Wales UK, further  unmasking the link between dental flora and ventilator  assoc pneumonia (VAP) via the endotrach (ETT)  biofilm in a 20 patient ICU study ; while in Cardiff,  John gave biofilm presentations in 3-D in Dubai , World Dental Congress, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons , Glasgow and the Eastman Dental School, London , accounting for some of the 12,000 scientists, physicians and dentists he lectured to during traveling 60,000 miles and 4 continents in 2007."

"Research in Cardiff focused on  detection using a combination  of molecular methods for   Viable , But Non -Cultivable (VBNC) microorganisms in VAP from an oral origin,   focusing on 16S RNA PCR- DGGE (Denaturing  Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ). Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) using PNA FISH  for yeast ,  PFGE for typing isolates, PCR and qPCR, and SEM/ X-ray microanalysis for biofilm matrix elemental composition .  Considerable  effort was made to define the 3-D architecture and spatial arrangement of Strep mutans, Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the ETT

Prof Thomas studied with two prominent Cardiff Faculty:

Professor M. A.O. Lewis
Professor of Oral Medicine ,
Head of Oral Surgery Medicine and Pathology
Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies,
Cardiff Univ , Wales College of Medicine ,
School of Dentistry

President , Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons , Glasgow

and

Dr David Williams
Reader in Oral Microbiolgy
Oral Surgery , Medicine and Pathology
Cardiff Univ , School of Dentistry

This and complementary research resulted in 5 Abstracts submitted to IADR,  Feb 11, 2008.