Biofilm Formation and Infection

plaque. Plaque is a biofilm, which is made up almost entirely of oral bacteria, contained in a matrix composed of salivary glycoproteins and extracellular polysaccharides.2,8plaque. Plaque is a biofilm, which is made up almost entirely of oral bacteria, contained in a matrix composed of salivary glycoproteins and extracellular polysaccharides.2,8plaque. Plaque is a biofilm, which is made up almost entirely of oral bacteria, contained in a matrix composed of salivary glycoproteins and extracellular polysaccharides.2,8plaque. Plaque is a biofilm, which is made up almost entirely of oral bacteria, contained in a matrix composed of salivary glycoproteins and extracellular

Biofilms play a crucial role in the persistence of lung infections in CF patients due to the protective extracellular matrix that is formed by the bacterial community (5). This barrier limits the penetration of antibiotics and results in varying nutrient gradients, allowing for a diverse range of bacteria (5). Bacteria inside this biofilm are able to sense the presence of other cells, and alter their properties accordingly to suit the environment. This is particularly interesting as the bacterial communities within a biofilm may compete with each other for dominance in the biofilm (6). Therefore, bacterial competition may impact the treatment and actions needed to treat biofilms in the lungs of CF patients

The bacterium is capable of producing biofilms that allow microorganisms to stick to solid surfaces forming an attachment, which is enclosed by a slime layer ("Staphylococcus epidermis"). Biofilms protect pathogens from being destroyed by disinfectants inside human bodies ("Staphylococcus epidermis"). In other words, biofilms aid pathogens in causing diseases by releasing microbial products ("Staphylococcus

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a key opportunistic pathogen characterized by high-level antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation (1).Biofilm is a structured community of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced polymeric matrix adherent to an inert or living surface. Biofilmproducing organisms are more antimicrobial resistant than organisms without biofilm. In some extreme cases, the concentrations of antimicrobials required to kill biofilm positive organisms can be three- to four-fold higher than for biofilm negative bacteria, depending on the species and drug combination (2). Biofilms have great importance for public health as they are the main cause of nosocomial infections, especially implant-based and chronic infections (3). Antibiotic resistance in biofilms is due to a combination of many factors that act together to result in a level of resistance that is much higher than that of planktonic bacteria (4,5).

The effectiveness of disease treatment is often presented by the challenge of antimicrobial resistance. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) for example, is a pulmonary infection characterized by the poly-microbial growth of bacteria within biofilms, in the pulmonary tract of humans. For children suffering from CF, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) initially colonizes their airways, which with age, becomes replaced by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). The eradication of P. aeruginosa by antibiotics fails in 10-40% of CF patients. In the article, it was proven that there existed an interaction between the staphylococcal protein A (SpA) from S. aureus filtrates (SaF, a bacterial supernatant of S. aureus), and an exopolysaccharide (Psl) of P. aeruginosa. This interaction lead to the aggregation and increased resistance to tobramycin¬ – an antibiotic used to eradicate P. aeruginosa, to prevent chronic colonization of the bacteria. The study conducted involved 7 samples of P. aeruginosa that were taken from individuals who underwent successful eradication treatment, and 7 samples from individuals who still had persistent isolates. These P. aeruginosa samples were cultured for 24 hours in media. When SaF was added to the overnight preformed biofilms, the eradicated isolates were not affected by the SaF; however, the persistent isolates showed significant reduction is surface coverage due to densely packed cellular aggregation, without affecting the biomass or viability of persistent isolates. The

Both, Dr. Bassler and Dr. Dalino, explain how bacteria communicate and work together through quorum sensing. As Basler explained in her TED talk, bacterial cells make single producing proteins that attract other surrounding bacteria. They are able to receive these signals trough the signal receptor protein; this protein allows the bacteria to recognize when the cell density is high or low. If the cell density is high enough to perform the desired action, the group behavior turns on and they are able to work effectively as a way to reach their purpose. By working together, they are able to control pathogenicity and virulence; they continue to grow in their biofilms until they know they will be successful. Additionally, these single producing proteins are specific for intra-species communication meaning that the protein

My bacterium was swabbed off of a coke machine button. I decided to swab this particular spot because I believed there would be numerous bacteria found there since I see people everyday punching a button to get a cool beverage during breaks in between classes every day. To my surprise, there was only one colony that grew on the agar we had smeared it on. This was very surprising to me because I was sure there would be more bacteria growing on the machine rather than only one colony.

It is very difficult to treat bacterial biofilm infection. Antibiotic treatment by itself is not enough to destroy biofilm infections adequately. Overall, the approaches to combat biofilms can be categorized into two groups depending if the infection involves a foreign body or not. If the biofilm infection does not involving a foreign body (such as indwelling implants), continuing treatment using high doses of combination of several antibiotics with different mode of action toward the bacteria is used to combat the infection. On the other hand, if a foreign body is involved in the biofilm infection, extraction of the implant is needed for positive result. In some cases, only physical reduction of the biofilm is possible (using mechanical methods)

In the current paper, the investigators explored the formation of large biofilm-like clusters (agglomerates) of bacteria in synovial fluids (SF) of patients. Their primary goal was to elucidate the molecular basis for agglomeration by determining whether the extreme phenotype reflects altered expression of distinct bacterial factors.

In the United States, the fourth most leading cause of death are hospital-acquired infections. Furthermore, it is estimated that greater than 65 percent of all bacterial infections are associated with biofilms. A greater understanding of biofilms is essential if we are to find effective methods to combat their formation in order to promote public health. Unfortunately, with bacteria in space behaving widely different than on Earth, this can cause a huge problem when it comes to health in space. First of all, biofilms could contaminate and bio-deteriorate the space habitats, the health of the crew, and the function of waste recycling or food production systems in extremely different ways then handled before on Earth. All of these issues would

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram negative, rod-shaped bacteria, almost all strains of P. aeruginosa are motile (single polar flagella). The bacteria is capable of adapting to and therefore thriving in many different ecological environments (from water and soil to plant and animals) it also can utilize a variety of organic compounds as food sources, giving it the ability to colonize in places where nutrients are limited. It can cause a range of infections from pneumonia to the most serious cystic fibrosis. P. aeruginosa can form a biofilm that allows the bacteria to form a resistance to antibiotics. To this day there are conferences, websites, and microbiologists committed to the research and discovery of P. aeruginosa in the fight to discover and learn more about the bacteria and ways to fight its biofilm.

Biofilms were cultivated in micro titre plates with and without different concentrations of Medihoney and the effects on the biofilms were monitored.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a facultative anaerobic bacterium. It is part of the normal human flora and is found on the skin. Colonies of these bacteria can produce a protective slime called a hydrophobic biofilm. Staphylococcus epidermidis is usually not pathogenic unless it enters the human body. One of the most common places for infections are hospitals where people often have weakened immune systems, open wounds or medical devices implanted in their bodies. Staphylococcus epidermidis can be fatal because of the protective biofilm and the bacteria’s resistance to common antibiotics makes the infection difficult to treat. This stresses the

Collecting and analyzing the growth of over the two different aspects of oral biofilms. Biofilms are one of the most common and abundant species in nature and have both beneficial and harmful effects on plants, animals, and humans. Reasons for studying biofilms range from medically to industrially and hit home to us in our very mouths. For this experiment we collected two types of environment that are nutrient rich for biofilms to grow in and then observed them over eight types of media selecting for different components. Our results

The paper is titled “Streptococcus oligofermentans Inhibits Streptococcus mutans in Biofilms at Both Neutral pH and Cariogenic Conditions”. This indicates how the paper seeks to show that the bacteria S. Oligofermentans prevents S. Mutans from growing. Furthermore, the title reveals that this correlation is tested at multiple pH levels: first at neutral pH then at the cariogenic, or tooth decaying, pH of 5.5. The title references biofilms to indicate that both strains of bacteria will grow in a shared biofilm, much like how they might grow together in the oral microbiome.