What Is The Availability And Patterns Of Nutrient Uptake In Biofilms?

“Bacterial illness is a result of complex interactions between bacteria and the host. During evolution, humans developed many ways to protect themselves against bacterial pathogens. On the other hand, bacteria have developed strategies to evade, subvert or circumvent these defenses” (Sousa, 2003) “One of the most important characteristics of bacterial pathogenicity is the various strategies developed by prokaryotic organisms to use host molecules for their own benefit” (Sousa, 2003). “To accomplish this, bacteria have evolved elaborate control mechanisms to turn genes on and off, varying the transcriptional activator or

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

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)

Whether we like it or not bacteria is everywhere, it can be good and bad, on every surface we touch and even within our bodies. Bacteria, usually as a single celled microorganism, is almost harmless on its own as it can be engulfed by phagocytes and even destroyed by antibiotics. However, bacteria can group together and create something called a biofilm, which can be more detrimental to the health of humans. Biofilms are defined as a complex structure adhering to surfaces that are regularly in contact with water, consisting of colonies of bacteria and usually other microorganisms like yeasts and fungi. (Dictionary, 2002) What they are in not too complex words are microorganisms that stick together to become bigger and stronger cultures. The initial bacteria that attach themselves to surfaces do so by using weak, reversible, short-range electrostatic forces. These forces are called the van der Waals forces. If the bacteria is not disturbed and further grows, at this stage it begins to release a sticky polysaccharide, called extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) that allows the bacteria to strengthen and promote the arrival of pathogens. These

This allows blister formation and sloughing of the top layer of skin. The gene for PVL was found in the minority of both groups. Coagulase-negative staphylococci, particularly S epidermidis, produce an exopolysaccharide (slime) that promotes foreign-body adherence and resistance to phagocytosis. In a study of 42 S lugdunensis isolates, most isolates were able to form at least a weak biofilm, but the amount of biofilm formed by isolates was heterogeneous with poor correlation between clinical severity of disease and degree of biofilm formation. ica expression is modulated by various environmental conditions, appears to be controlled by SigB and can be turned on and off by insertion sequence (IS) elements. aureus sepsis died from complications of the condition. It is necessary to treat scalded skin syndrome with intravenous antibiotics and to protect the skin from allowing dehydration to occur if large areas peel off. PVL is associated with necrotic skin and lung infections and has been shown to be a major virulence factor for pneumonia and osteomyelitis. Proteins have been identified that are also involved in biofilm formation, such as the accumulation-associated protein (AAP), the clumping factor A (ClfA), the staphylococcal surface protein (SSP1) and the biofilm-associated protein (Bap).

This pathogen secretes an Mottola et al. demonstrated that staphylococcus aureus and other microorganisms growing on the biofilms are not as resistant when isolated (2016). When staphylococcus strains were grown separately and treated with distinct antimicrobial agents, their minimum inhibitory concentrations were lower than on biofilms. Pathogens growing on biofilms are able to resist 10 – 10,000 times the concentrations of antimicrobial drugs that would kill an isolated strain; those concentrations can also be lethal for human beings. Mottola et al.’s experiment also showed that the minimum biofilms inhibitory and eradication concentrations values of antibiotics acting against isolated MRSA were higher than the minimal inhibitory concentrations values. some antibiotics such as for isolated pathogens were about the same for most of the antimicrobial agents studied. Although some antimicrobial agents such as Clindamycin were able to inhibit biofilms, but could not eradicate them (2016). Thus, there might still be some risks of

make ourselves more resistant to harmful pathogens. One concern is that this bacteria may not survive

Hypothesis: These results were inconsistent with our hypothesis that sucrose was a better carbon course than glycerol, and would therefore produce biofilms with larger circumferences. In fact though our data was not statistically significant, our experiment shows a slightly larger circumference for both strains when grown in glycerol, than when grown in sucrose. Additionally, we predicted that TRY 143 flo↑ would have a larger circumference than TRY 140 flo↓ in both carbon sources, when in fact the opposite is true.

New discovery of antibiotics has slowed down and the select number of pathogenic bacteria in existence are continuing to increase in virulence due to increased exposure. Although advances have been made to address the issue of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, remaining exist that may not be as obvious a threat to fighting especially virulent bacterial

It is estimated that biofilms are involved in 80% of infections - they work in separate ways depending on what type of biofilm it is and what infection is caused. Most biofilms will begin with attachment of a few cells, after which growth and intercellular communication occurs. (618-619 - Madigan and Martinko 2005.) The most commonly studied bacterium related to biofilms is that of Pseudomonas aeruginosa also known as P. aeruginosa; it can form a biofilm on almost any surface within a bacteria filled environment. Cystic fibrosis is a chronic lung infection that is usually derived from the P. aeruginosa bacterium. (LaBaer 2004), the biofilm growth in patients with CF lungs comes from a range of mutations. The process in which the biofilm comes into play begins from the ‘polysaccharide matrix’ created by the biofilm, this matrix causes treatment of CF patients to become problematic as it builds tolerance to the antibiotics needed.

Biofilms are hard to treat for many reasons. The main reason is because they are highly resistant to antibiotics. This is because the outer cells protect the inner cells from the antibiotic. Therefore, a long-term treatment of antibiotics is required to help the biofilm related infection. Living in groups, give bacteria properties they didn't have when living alone. Another reason they're hard to treat is because they are undefeatable by the body's natural immune defense system. Biofilms avoid chemical disinfection in two different ways. The first is that a gel-like polysaccharide layer provides a physical barrier against any outside agent, biological or chemical. The second is that even if a biocidal agent is introduced in a large enough quantity to eliminate the living bacteria, then

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis forms a biofilm-like structure in vitro when grown in H-broth media in dark at 23˚C. Biofilm-associated proteins were found in supernatant of Bd zoospore suspension (Brutyn et al. 2012). Our observations and

A fully formed biofilm now allows the individual bacterial cells to communicate with each other via quorum sensing. This activity helps cells pass information about their neighbors and surrounding environment to one

After existing for over 3 billion years, biofilms have provided both a number of benefits and complications to living organisms. However, observing how these microorganisms interact with their environments and their own communities could help better understand the beneficial and harmful roles of biofilm formation. From the article, Bacterial Biofilms: From The Natural Environment to Infectious Diseases, Stoodley defines biofilm formation as a structured community of bacterial cells that communicate and survive by bind to living or nonliving surfaces. (Stoodley, 2004) Most commonly, biofilm inhabitants are found in wet environments, where they will produce a sticky substance that adheres to surfaces like flesh or the metal and plastics that make up medical devices. This glue-like substance is made up of FLO genes that code for glycoproteins and are required for formations of biofilm and adhesion. The FLO genes are important for the yeast to stick together. (General Biology, 2014) The development of biofilm grows closely together, in diverse settings, and can move together in a variety of ways. (Stoodley, 2004) When biofilm naturally occurs, it goes through developmental steps: adhesion, the growth of close communities, and a type of planktonic cell detachment where they can spread rapidly. (Spoon, 2010) Because these characteristics make biofilm more

A biofilm’s main component is its polysaccharide intercellular adhesion (PIA) which plays a major role in the bacte-rias ability to agglomerate. This polysaccharide as well as, polymeric proteins, teichoic acids, and extracellular DNA forms a matrix that protects the bacteria, rendering even the strongest doses of antibiotics ineffective.