Biofilm Growth and Fossil Form

An anaerobic inverse turbulent bed, in which the biogas only ensures fluidisation of floating carrier particles, was investigated for carbon removal kinetics and for biofilm growth and detachment. The range of operation of the reactor was kept within 5 and 30 kgCOD· m−3· d−1, with Hydraulic Retention Times between 0.28 and 1 day. The carbon removal efficiency remained between 70 and 85%. Biofilm size were rather low (between 5 and 30 μm) while biofilm density reached very high values (over 80 kgVS· m−3). The biofilm size and density varied with increasing carbon removal rates with opposite trends; as biofilm size increases, its density decreases. On the one hand, biomass activity within the reactor was kept at a high level, (between 0.23 and 0.75 kgTOC· kgVS· d−1, i.e. between 0.6 and 1.85 kgCOD·kgVS · d−1).This result indicates that high turbulence and shear may favour growth of thin, dense and active biofilms. It is thus an interesting tool for biomass control. On the other hand, volatile solid detachment increases quasi linearly with carbon removal rate and the total amount of solid in the reactor levels off at high OLR. This means that detachment could be a limit of the process at higher organic loading rates.

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Bifunctional Composites for Biofilms Modulation on Cervical Restorations

Journal of Dental Research ◽

10.1177/00220345211018189 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002203452110181

Author(s):

A.A. Balhaddad ◽

I.M. Garcia ◽

L. Mokeem ◽

M.S. Ibrahim ◽

F.M. Collares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Free Energy ◽

Surface Free Energy ◽

Contact Angles ◽

Bacterial Biofilm ◽

Dental Composite ◽

Log P ◽

Rrna Gene ◽

Cervical Lesions ◽

Biofilm Growth ◽

Biofilm Development

Cervical composites treating root carious and noncarious cervical lesions usually extend subgingivally. The subgingival margins of composites present poor plaque control, enhanced biofilm accumulation, and cause gingival irritation. A potential material to restore such lesions should combine agents that interfere with bacterial biofilm development and respond to acidic conditions. Here, we explore the use of new bioresponsive bifunctional dental composites against mature microcosm biofilms derived from subgingival plaque samples. The designed formulations contain 2 bioactive agents: dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM) at 3 to 5 wt.% and 20 wt.% nanosized amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP) in a base resin. Composites with no DMAHDM and NACP were used as controls. The newly formulated 5% DMAHDM–20% NACP composite was analyzed by micro-Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The wettability and surface-free energy were also assessed. The inhibitory effect on the in vitro biofilm growth and the 16S rRNA gene sequencing of survival bacterial colonies derived from the composites were analyzed. Whole-biofilm metabolic activity, polysaccharide production, and live/dead images of the biofilm grown over the composites complement the microbiological assays. Overall, the designed formulations had higher contact angles with water and lower surface-free energy compared to the commercial control. The DMAHDM-NACP composites significantly inhibited the growth of total microorganisms, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia/nigrescens, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Fusobacterium nucleatum by 3 to 5-log ( P < 0.001). For the colony isolates from control composites, the composition was typically dominated by the genera Veillonella, Fusobacterium, Streptococcus, Eikenella, and Leptotrichia, while Fusobacterium and Veillonella dominated the 5% DMAHDM–20% NACP composites. The DMAHDM-NACP composites contributed to over 80% of reduction in metabolic and polysaccharide activity. The suppression effect on plaque biofilms suggested that DMAHDM-NACP composites might be used as a bioactive material for cervical restorations. These results may propose an exciting path to prevent biofilm growth and improve dental composite restorations’ life span.

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An In Vitro Coumarin-Antibiotic Combination Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms

Natural Product Communications ◽

10.1177/1934578x20987744 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 1934578X2098774

Author(s):

Jinpeng Zou ◽

Yang Liu ◽

Ruiwei Guo ◽

Yu Tang ◽

Zhengrong Shi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Drug Resistance ◽

Combination Treatment ◽

Crude Extract ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Bacterial Resistance ◽

Antibacterial Properties ◽

Biofilm Growth ◽

Antibiotic Combination

The drug resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a worldwide problem due to its great threat to human health. A crude extract of Angelica dahurica has been proved to have antibacterial properties, which suggested that it may be able to inhibit the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa; initial exploration had shown that the crude extract could inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa effectively. After the adaptive dose of coumarin was confirmed to be a potential treatment for the bacteria’s drug resistance, “coumarin-antibiotic combination treatments” (3 coumarins—simple coumarin, imperatorin, and isoimperatorin—combined with 2 antibiotics—ampicillin and ceftazidime) were examined to determine their capability to inhibit P. aeruginosa. The final results showed that (1) coumarin with either ampicillin or ceftazidime significantly inhibited the biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa; (2) coumarin could directly destroy mature biofilms; and (3) the combination treatment can synergistically enhance the inhibition of biofilm formation, which could significantly reduce the usage of antibiotics and bacterial resistance. To sum up, a coumarin-antibiotic combination treatment may be a potential way to inhibit the biofilm growth of P. aeruginosa and provides a reference for antibiotic resistance treatment.

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Cell Surface Expression of Nrg1 Protein in Candida auris

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof7040262 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 262

Author(s):

Anuja Paudyal ◽

Govindsamy Vediyappan

Keyword(s):

Cell Surface ◽

Growth Conditions ◽

Zinc Ion ◽

Surface Proteins ◽

Cell Surface Expression ◽

Unexpected Finding ◽

Candida Auris ◽

Cell Surface Proteins ◽

Biofilm Growth

Candida auris is an emerging antifungal resistant human fungal pathogen increasingly reported in healthcare facilities. It persists in hospital environments, and on skin surfaces, and can form biofilms readily. Here, we investigated the cell surface proteins from C. auris biofilms grown in a synthetic sweat medium mimicking human skin conditions. Cell surface proteins from both biofilm and planktonic control cells were extracted with a buffer containing β-mercaptoethanol and resolved by 2-D gel electrophoresis. Some of the differentially expressed proteins were excised and identified by mass spectrometry. C. albicans orthologs Spe3p, Tdh3p, Sod2p, Ywp1p, and Mdh1p were overexpressed in biofilm cells when compared to the planktonic cells of C. auris. Interestingly, several proteins with zinc ion binding activity were detected. Nrg1p is a zinc-binding transcription factor that negatively regulates hyphal growth in C. albicans. C. auris does not produce true hypha under standard in vitro growth conditions, and the role of Nrg1p in C. auris is currently unknown. Western blot analyses of cell surface and cytosolic proteins of C. auris against anti-CalNrg1 antibody revealed the Nrg1p in both locations. Cell surface localization of Nrg1p in C. auris, an unexpected finding, was further confirmed by immunofluorescence microscopy. Nrg1p expression is uniform across all four clades of C. auris and is dependent on growth conditions. Taken together, the data indicate that C. auris produces several unique proteins during its biofilm growth, which may assist in the skin-colonizing lifestyle of the fungus during its pathogenesis.

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Bacteriophage Cocktail-Mediated Inhibition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm on Endotracheal Tube Surface

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10010078 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 78

Author(s):

Viviane C. Oliveira ◽

Ana P. Macedo ◽

Luís D. R. Melo ◽

Sílvio B. Santos ◽

Paula R. S. Hermann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Endotracheal Tube ◽

Metabolic Activity ◽

Bacterial Colonization ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Tube Surface ◽

Screening Assay ◽

Biofilm Growth ◽

Phage Cocktail

Although different strategies to control biofilm formation on endotracheal tubes have been proposed, there are scarce scientific data on applying phages for both removing and preventing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on the device surface. Here, the anti-biofilm capacity of five bacteriophages was evaluated by a high content screening assay. We observed that biofilms were significantly reduced after phage treatment, especially in multidrug-resistant strains. Considering the anti-biofilm screens, two phages were selected as cocktail components, and the cocktail’s ability to prevent colonization of the endotracheal tube surface was tested in a dynamic biofilm model. Phage-coated tubes were challenged with different P. aeruginosa strains. The biofilm growth was monitored from 24 to 168 h by colony forming unit counting, metabolic activity assessment, and biofilm morphology observation. The phage cocktail promoted differences of bacterial colonization; nonetheless, the action was strain dependent. Phage cocktail coating did not promote substantial changes in metabolic activity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a higher concentration of biofilm cells in control, while tower-like structures could be observed on phage cocktail-coated tubes. These results demonstrate that with the development of new coating strategies, phage therapy has potential in controlling the endotracheal tube-associated biofilm.

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Agent-Based Modeling Demonstrates How Local Chemotactic Behavior Can Shape Biofilm Architecture

mSphere ◽

10.1128/msphere.00285-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Emily G. Sweeney ◽

Andrew Nishida ◽

Alexandra Weston ◽

Maria S. Bañuelos ◽

Kristin Potter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Helicobacter Pylori ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Structural Features ◽

Agent Based Modeling ◽

Emergent Properties ◽

Cellular Interactions ◽

Biofilm Growth ◽

Content Type ◽

Agent Based ◽

H Pylori

ABSTRACTBacteria are often found living in aggregated multicellular communities known as biofilms. Biofilms are three-dimensional structures that confer distinct physical and biological properties to the collective of cells living within them. We used agent-based modeling to explore whether local cellular interactions were sufficient to give rise to global structural features of biofilms. Specifically, we asked whether chemorepulsion from a self-produced quorum-sensing molecule, autoinducer-2 (AI-2), was sufficient to recapitulate biofilm growth and cellular organization observed for biofilms ofHelicobacter pylori, a common bacterial resident of human stomachs. To carry out this modeling, we modified an existing platform, Individual-based Dynamics of Microbial Communities Simulator (iDynoMiCS), to incorporate three-dimensional chemotaxis, planktonic cells that could join or leave the biofilm structure, and cellular production of AI-2. We simulated biofilm growth of previously characterizedH. pyloristrains with various AI-2 production and sensing capacities. Using biologically plausible parameters, we were able to recapitulate both the variation in biofilm mass and cellular distributions observed with these strains. Specifically, the strains that were competent to chemotax away from AI-2 produced smaller and more heterogeneously spaced biofilms, whereas the AI-2 chemotaxis-defective strains produced larger and more homogeneously spaced biofilms. The model also provided new insights into the cellular demographics contributing to the biofilm patterning of each strain. Our analysis supports the idea that cellular interactions at small spatial and temporal scales are sufficient to give rise to larger-scale emergent properties of biofilms.IMPORTANCEMost bacteria exist in aggregated, three-dimensional structures called biofilms. Although biofilms play important ecological roles in natural and engineered settings, they can also pose societal problems, for example, when they grow in plumbing systems or on medical implants. Understanding the processes that promote the growth and disassembly of biofilms could lead to better strategies to manage these structures. We had previously shown thatHelicobacter pyloribacteria are repulsed by high concentrations of a self-produced molecule, AI-2, and thatH. pylorimutants deficient in AI-2 sensing form larger and more homogeneously spaced biofilms. Here, we used computer simulations of biofilm formation to show that localH. pyloribehavior of repulsion from high AI-2 could explain the overall architecture ofH. pyloribiofilms. Our findings demonstrate that it is possible to change global biofilm organization by manipulating local cell behaviors, which suggests that simple strategies targeting cells at local scales could be useful for controlling biofilms in industrial and medical settings.

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Aztreonam Lysine Increases the Activity of Phages E79 and phiKZ against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9010152 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 152

Author(s):

Carly M. Davis ◽

Jaclyn G. McCutcheon ◽

Jonathan J. Dennis

Keyword(s):

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Burst Size ◽

Type Iv Pili ◽

Biofilm Growth ◽

Promising Alternative ◽

Type Iv ◽

Alternative Treatment Option ◽

One Step ◽

Step Growth

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a pernicious bacterial pathogen that is difficult to treat because of high levels of antibiotic resistance. A promising alternative treatment option for such bacteria is the application of bacteriophages; the correct combination of phages plus antibiotics can produce synergistic inhibitory effects. In this study, we describe morphological changes induced by sub-MIC levels of the antibiotic aztreonam lysine (AzLys) on P. aeruginosa PA01, which may in part explain the observed phage–antibiotic synergy (PAS). One-step growth curves for phage E79 showed increased adsorption rates, decreased infection latency, accelerated time to lysis and a minor reduction in burst size. Phage E79 plus AzLys PAS was also able to significantly reduce P. aeruginosa biofilm growth over 3-fold as compared to phage treatment alone. Sub-inhibitory AzLys-induced filamentation of P. aeruginosa cells resulted in loss of twitching motility and a reduction in swimming motility, likely due to a reduction in the number of polar Type IV pili and flagella, respectively, on the filamented cell surfaces. Phage phiKZ, which uses Type IV pili as a receptor, did not exhibit increased activity with AzLys at lower sub-inhibitory levels, but still produced phage–antibiotic synergistic killing with sub-inhibitory AzLys. A one-step growth curve indicates that phiKZ in the presence of AzLys also exhibits a decreased infection latency and moderately undergoes accelerated time to lysis. In contrast to prior PAS studies demonstrating that phages undergo delayed time to lysis with cell filamentation, these PAS results show that phages undergo accelerated time to lysis, which therefore suggests that PAS is dependent upon multiple factors, including the type of phages and antibiotics used, and the bacterial host being tested.

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Novel Protein-Repellent and Antibacterial Resins and Cements to Inhibit Lesions and Protect Teeth

International Journal of Polymer Science ◽

10.1155/2019/5602904 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Li Cao ◽

Junling Wu ◽

Qiang Zhang ◽

Bashayer Baras ◽

Ghalia Bhadila ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Orthodontic Treatment ◽

The Novel ◽

Dental Resin ◽

Biofilm Growth ◽

New Class ◽

Dental Resins ◽

Wide Range ◽

Oral Biofilms ◽

One Year

Orthodontic treatment is increasingly popular as people worldwide seek esthetics and better quality of life. In orthodontic treatment, complex appliances and retainers are placed in the patients’ mouths for at least one year, which often lead to biofilm plaque accumulation. This in turn increases the caries-inducing bacteria, decreases the pH of the retained plaque on an enamel surface, and causes white spot lesions (WSLs) in enamel. This article reviews the cutting-edge research on a new class of bioactive and therapeutic dental resins, cements, and adhesives that can inhibit biofilms and protect tooth structures. The novel approaches include the use of protein-repellent and anticaries polymeric dental cements containing 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and dimethylaminododecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM); multifunctional resins that can inhibit enamel demineralization; protein-repellent and self-etching adhesives to greatly reduce oral biofilm growth; and novel polymethyl methacrylate resins to suppress oral biofilms and acid production. These new materials could reduce biofilm attachment, raise local biofilm pH, and facilitate the remineralization to protect the teeth. This novel class of dental resin with dual benefits of antibacterial and protein-repellent capabilities has the potential for a wide range of dental and biomedical applications to inhibit bacterial infection and protect the tissues.

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