Alternate methods to the traditional drug delivery of injections and oral medication are in high demand. The most popular method is transdermal patches. They transfer medication through the skin contained in a patch directly into the bloodstream. Several different drugs are used in transdermal patches, and extensive research is required to prove that the product will be effective.

Co- Director Michelle Bothwell Co- Director Skip Rochefort Mentor Iva Jovanovic

Transdermal patches come in different styles, sizes, and shapes. Different applications for the patches are birth control, weight loss, hormone control, nicotine addictions, and more. The purpose for transdermal patches is to painlessly administer medications.

Gram-positive bacteria- a prokaryotic cell whose cell wall primarily contains peptidoglycan, and lacks the outer membrane of the gram-negative cell. Gram-negative bacteria- a prokaryotic cell that contains very little peptidoglycan, but instead contains a cell wall made up of LDS, lipoproteins, and complex molecules. We will be using Gram negative bacteria,

because Nisin and Ampicillin, the drugs we are using, kill Gram- Positive bacteria. Our E. coli and Horseblood represent the skin matrix on the human being, and are both Gram- Negative.

Making the agar media- using MRS and powdered agar,12 grams of Agar and 52.3 grams of MRS is measured out. Add 1000 mL of distilled water, place on a stirring plate until thoroughly mixed. Then, to sterilize, autoclave for 30 minutes. After autoclaving, place back on stirring plate and stir until it is cool to the touch. Setting up the plates- with large petri dishes pour pediococcus seeded agar into the plates (approximately 50mL), cover and

place in Cold room. When solidified, remove from Cold room and place prepared filters onto appropriate zones. Cover and place in incubator. Preparing the filters- using.22 micron and.45 micron filters, pipette desired layers and drugs. When dry, place on desired zones. Analyzing the data- take the filters off the agar media and measure zones in centimeters.

We found that the horseblood plates produced the clearest and largest zones. Because of this, we believe that the horseblood was the best simulation of a transdermal patch, and was the most accurate.

In conclusion, the pediococcus plates treated with horseblood as the skin matrix seemed to produce the best results. They were nearly the same size as the filter, showing that patched can be used to treat very specific areas of the body. Since only a few zones showed up with no zones made, then we can assume that transdermal patches work well, and efficiently.