Biofilms: Formation, Properties, Impact on Industries, Strategies for Control

Microbes being one of the oldest inhabitants on the earth, have successfully survived the harsh environments by a number of survival strategies. One such strategy is the formation of a multicellular structure formed by the adherence of the microorganisms to a surface, known as biofilm. This structure is formed by first reversible and then irreversible linkages with the solid support. These are the porous structures with micro colonies, enclosed by exopolysaccharides and are connected by interstitial voids called water channels to promote the influx of nutrients, oxygen and other vital molecules and the efflux of metabolic wastes. Biofouling – formation of biofilms in an industrial setting has been a major problem in the wide range of industries with deleterious effects. The challenges brought about by biofilms in various sectors of the food industry, paper manufacturing and marine industries as well as other technological problems are discussed. Over the years several strategies are used targeting various stages and site of biofilm formation have been formulated to rid industries of biofilms once and for all. Though there exists no ‘perfect solution’ for complete biofilm eradication to date, some of the more recent and potential strategies will be discussed

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Insights into Potent Therapeutical Antileukemic Agent L-glutaminase Enzyme Under Solid-state Fermentation: A Review

Current Drug Metabolism ◽

10.2174/1389200221666200421122147 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 211-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Chandrasai Potla Durthi ◽

Madhuri Pola ◽

Satish Babu Rajulapati ◽

Anand Kishore Kola

Keyword(s):

Solid State ◽

Solid State Fermentation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Energy Requirement ◽

Production Studies ◽

Wide Range ◽

Hybridoma Technology ◽

Bacteria And Fungi ◽

The Stability ◽

Glutaminase Activity

Aim & objective: To review the applications and production studies of reported antileukemic drug L-glutaminase under Solid-state Fermentation (SSF). Overview: An amidohydrolase that gained economic importance because of its wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as the food industry, is L-glutaminase. The medical applications utilized it as an anti-tumor agent as well as an antiretroviral agent. L-glutaminase is employed in the food industry as an acrylamide degradation agent, as a flavor enhancer and for the synthesis of theanine. Another application includes its use in hybridoma technology as a biosensing agent. Because of its diverse applications, scientists are now focusing on enhancing the production and optimization of L-glutaminase from various sources by both Solid-state Fermentation (SSF) and submerged fermentation studies. Of both types of fermentation processes, SSF has gained importance because of its minimal cost and energy requirement. L-glutaminase can be produced by SSF from both bacteria and fungi. Single-factor studies, as well as multi-level optimization studies, were employed to enhance L-glutaminase production. It was concluded that L-glutaminase activity achieved by SSF was 1690 U/g using wheat bran and Bengal gram husk by applying feed-forward artificial neural network and genetic algorithm. The highest L-glutaminase activity achieved under SSF was 3300 U/gds from Bacillus sp., by mixture design. Purification and kinetics studies were also reported to find the molecular weight as well as the stability of L-glutaminase. Conclusion: The current review is focused on the production of L-glutaminase by SSF from both bacteria and fungi. It was concluded from reported literature that optimization studies enhanced L-glutaminase production. Researchers have also confirmed antileukemic and anti-tumor properties of the purified L-glutaminase on various cell lines.

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Computers in Geology - 25 Years of Progress

10.1093/oso/9780195085938.001.0001 ◽

1994 ◽

Keyword(s):

Computer Modeling ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

State Of The Art ◽

International Association ◽

Mathematical Geology ◽

25Th Anniversary ◽

The Earth ◽

Wide Range ◽

History Of ◽

Mapping Techniques

This volume vividly demonstrates the importance and increasing breadth of quantitative methods in the earth sciences. With contributions from an international cast of leading practitioners, chapters cover a wide range of state-of-the-art methods and applications, including computer modeling and mapping techniques. Many chapters also contain reviews and extensive bibliographies which serve to make this an invaluable introduction to the entire field. In addition to its detailed presentations, the book includes chapters on the history of geomathematics and on R.G.V. Eigen, the "father" of mathematical geology. Written to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Association for Mathematical Geology, the book will be sought after by both practitioners and researchers in all branches of geology.

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Much Ado about (Practically) Nothing

10.1093/oso/9780195393965.001.0001 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

David Fisher

Keyword(s):

Energy Source ◽

Atomic Nucleus ◽

The Sun ◽

Scientific Journals ◽

Rare Gases ◽

Important Work ◽

The Earth ◽

Wide Range ◽

Life On Mars ◽

The Universe

There are eight columns in the Periodic Table. The eighth column is comprised of the rare gases, so-called because they are the rarest elements on earth. They are also called the inert or noble gases because, like nobility, they do no work. They are colorless, odorless, invisible gases which do not react with anything, and were thought to be unimportant until the early 1960s. Starting in that era, David Fisher has spent roughly fifty years doing research on these gases, publishing nearly a hundred papers in the scientific journals, applying them to problems in geophysics and cosmochemistry, and learning how other scientists have utilized them to change our ideas about the universe, the sun, and our own planet. Much Ado about (Practically) Nothing will cover this spectrum of ideas, interspersed with the author's own work which will serve to introduce each gas and the important work others have done with them. The rare gases have participated in a wide range of scientific advances-even revolutions-but no book has ever recorded the entire story. Fisher will range from the intricacies of the atomic nucleus and the tiniest of elementary particles, the neutrino, to the energy source of the stars; from the age of the earth to its future energies; from life on Mars to cancer here on earth. A whole panoply that has never before been told as an entity.

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The aspects of microbial biomass use in the utilization of selected waste from the agro-food industry

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.1515/biol-2020-0099 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 787-796 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marek Kieliszek ◽

Kamil Piwowarek ◽

Anna M. Kot ◽

Katarzyna Pobiega

Keyword(s):

Food Industry ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Waste Products ◽

Yeast Biomass ◽

Wide Range ◽

Innovative Solutions ◽

Biomass Management ◽

Effective Use ◽

Modern Technologies ◽

Biomass Of Microorganisms

AbstractCellular biomass of microorganisms can be effectively used in the treatment of waste from various branches of the agro-food industry. Urbanization processes and economic development, which have been intensifying in recent decades, lead to the degradation of the natural environment. In the first half of the 20th century, problems related to waste management were not as serious and challenging as they are today. The present situation forces the use of modern technologies and the creation of innovative solutions for environmental protection. Waste of industrial origin are difficult to recycle and require a high financial outlay, while the organic waste of animal and plant origins, such as potato wastewater, whey, lignin, and cellulose, is dominant. In this article, we describe the possibilities of using microorganisms for the utilization of various waste products. A solution to reduce the costs of waste disposal is the use of yeast biomass. Management of waste products using yeast biomass has made it possible to generate new metabolites, such as β-glucans, vitamins, carotenoids, and enzymes, which have a wide range of industrial applications. Exploration and discovery of new areas of applications of yeast, fungal, and bacteria cells can lead to an increase in their effective use in many fields of biotechnology.

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Anti-Biofilm Molecules Targeting Functional Amyloids

Antibiotics ◽

10.3390/antibiotics10070795 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 795

Author(s):

Leticia Matilla-Cuenca ◽

Alejandro Toledo-Arana ◽

Jaione Valle

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Therapeutic Strategy ◽

Research Area ◽

Therapeutic Strategies ◽

Structural Components ◽

Significant Issue ◽

Wide Range ◽

Effective Therapeutic Strategy ◽

Functional Amyloids ◽

Biofilm Matrix

The choice of an effective therapeutic strategy in the treatment of biofilm-related infections is a significant issue. Amyloids, which have been historically related to human diseases, are now considered to be prevailing structural components of the biofilm matrix in a wide range of bacteria. This assumption creates the potential for an exciting research area, in which functional amyloids are considered to be attractive targets for drug development to dissemble biofilm structures. The present review describes the best-characterized bacterial functional amyloids and focuses on anti-biofilm agents that target intrinsic and facultative amyloids. This study provides a better understanding of the different modes of actions of the anti-amyloid molecules to inhibit biofilm formation. This information can be further exploited to improve the therapeutic strategies to combat biofilm-related infections.

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Responses to Ecopollutants and Pathogenization Risks of Saprotrophic Rhodococcus Species

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens10080974 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 974

Author(s):

Irina B. Ivshina ◽

Maria S. Kuyukina ◽

Anastasiia V. Krivoruchko ◽

Elena A. Tyumina

Keyword(s):

Survival Strategies ◽

Complex Life Cycle ◽

Anthropogenic Pressure ◽

Resting Cells ◽

Organic Substrates ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Anthropogenic Pollutants ◽

Rhodococcus Species ◽

Wide Range ◽

Rigid Cell Wall

Under conditions of increasing environmental pollution, true saprophytes are capable of changing their survival strategies and demonstrating certain pathogenicity factors. Actinobacteria of the genus Rhodococcus, typical soil and aquatic biotope inhabitants, are characterized by high ecological plasticity and a wide range of oxidized organic substrates, including hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Their cell adaptations, such as the ability of adhering and colonizing surfaces, a complex life cycle, formation of resting cells and capsule-like structures, diauxotrophy, and a rigid cell wall, developed against the negative effects of anthropogenic pollutants are discussed and the risks of possible pathogenization of free-living saprotrophic Rhodococcus species are proposed. Due to universal adaptation features, Rhodococcus species are among the candidates, if further anthropogenic pressure increases, to move into the group of potentially pathogenic organisms with “unprofessional” parasitism, and to join an expanding list of infectious agents as facultative or occasional parasites.

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Antimicrobial and Immunomodulating Activities of Two Endemic Nepeta Species and Their Major Iridoids Isolated from Natural Sources

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14050414 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 414

Author(s):

Neda Aničić ◽

Uroš Gašić ◽

Feng Lu ◽

Ana Ćirić ◽

Marija Ivanov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Food Industry ◽

Balkan Peninsula ◽

Antimicrobial Activities ◽

Natural Sources ◽

E Coli ◽

Food Borne ◽

Metabolite Profiles ◽

Aspergillus Sp ◽

First Time

Two Balkan Peninsula endemics, Nepeta rtanjensis and N. argolica subsp. argolica, both characterized by specialized metabolite profiles predominated by iridoids and phenolics, are differentiated according to the stereochemistry of major iridoid aglycone nepetalactone (NL). For the first time, the present study provides a comparative analysis of antimicrobial and immunomodulating activities of the two Nepeta species and their major iridoids isolated from natural sources—cis,trans-NL, trans,cis-NL, and 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (1,5,9-eDLA), as well as of phenolic acid rosmarinic acid (RA). Methanol extracts and pure iridoids displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against eight strains of bacteria and seven strains of fungi. They were especially potent against food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp. Targeted iridoids were efficient agents in preventing biofilm formation of resistant P. aeruginosa strain, and they displayed additive antimicrobial interaction. Iridoids are, to a great extent, responsible for the prominent antimicrobial activities of the two Nepeta species, although are probably minor contributors to the moderate immunomodulatory effects. The analyzed iridoids and RA, individually or in mixtures, have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry as potent antimicrobials, and in the food industry to increase the shelf life and safety of food products.

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Recent Insights into Anthocyanin Pigmentation, Synthesis, Trafficking, and Regulatory Mechanisms in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Caryopsis

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom11030394 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 394 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Enerand Mackon ◽

Guibeline Charlie Jeazet Dongho Epse Mackon ◽

Yafei Ma ◽

Muhammad Haneef Kashif ◽

Niyaz Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Industry ◽

Anthocyanin Biosynthesis ◽

Oryza Sativa L ◽

Anthocyanin Synthesis ◽

Pigmented Rice ◽

Complex Processes ◽

Natural Colorants ◽

Wide Range ◽

Anthocyanin Production ◽

And Storage

Anthocyanins are antioxidants used as natural colorants and are beneficial to human health. Anthocyanins contribute to reactive oxygen species detoxification and sustain plant growth and development under different environmental stresses. They are phenolic compounds that are broadly distributed in nature and are responsible for a wide range of attractive coloration in many plant organs. Anthocyanins are found in various parts of plants such as flowers, leaves, stems, shoots, and grains. Considering their nutritional and health attributes, anthocyanin-enriched rice or pigmented rice cultivars are a possible alternative to reduce malnutrition around the globe. Anthocyanin biosynthesis and storage in rice are complex processes in which several structural and regulatory genes are involved. In recent years, significant progress has been achieved in the molecular and genetic mechanism of anthocyanins, and their synthesis is of great interest to researchers and the scientific community. However, limited studies have reported anthocyanin synthesis, transportation, and environmental conditions that can hinder anthocyanin production in rice. Rice is a staple food around the globe, and further research on anthocyanin in rice warrants more attention. In this review, metabolic and pre-biotic activities, the underlying transportation, and storage mechanisms of anthocyanins in rice are discussed in detail. This review provides potential information for the food industry and clues for rice breeding and genetic engineering of rice.

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In-Situ Cosmogenic 14C: Production and Examples of its Unique Applications in Studies of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Processes

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/s0033822200041394 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 43 (2B) ◽

pp. 731-742 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

D Lal ◽

A J T Jull

Keyword(s):

Half Life ◽

Earth Science ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Radioactive Isotopes ◽

Earth’S Atmosphere ◽

The Earth ◽

Wide Range ◽

History Of ◽

Earth's Atmosphere

Nuclear interactions of cosmic rays produce a number of stable and radioactive isotopes on the earth (Lai and Peters 1967). Two of these, 14C and 10Be, find applications as tracers in a wide variety of earth science problems by virtue of their special combination of attributes: 1) their source functions, 2) their half-lives, and 3) their chemical properties. The radioisotope, 14C (half-life = 5730 yr) produced in the earth's atmosphere was the first to be discovered (Anderson et al. 1947; Libby 1952). The next longer-lived isotope, also produced in the earth's atmosphere, 10Be (half-life = 1.5 myr) was discovered independently by two groups within a decade (Arnold 1956; Goel et al. 1957; Lal 1991a). Both the isotopes are produced efficiently in the earth's atmosphere, and also in solids on the earth's surface. Independently and jointly they serve as useful tracers for characterizing the evolutionary history of a wide range of materials and artifacts. Here, we specifically focus on the production of 14C in terrestrial solids, designated as in-situ-produced 14C (to differentiate it from atmospheric 14C, initially produced in the atmosphere). We also illustrate the application to several earth science problems. This is a relatively new area of investigations, using 14C as a tracer, which was made possible by the development of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The availability of the in-situ 14C variety has enormously enhanced the overall scope of 14C as a tracer (singly or together with in-situ-produced 10Be), which eminently qualifies it as a unique tracer for studying earth sciences.

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Fructose Enhanced Reduction of Bacterial Growth on Nanorough Surfaces

MRS Proceedings ◽

10.1557/opl.2013.35 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 1498 ◽

pp. 73-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N. Gozde Durmus ◽

Erik N. Taylor ◽

Kim M. Kummer ◽

Thomas J. Webster

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Growth ◽

Biofilm Formation ◽

Antibacterial Agents ◽

Bacteria Growth ◽

Planktonic Bacteria ◽

Combined Use ◽

Wide Range ◽

Metabolic Stimulation ◽

Antibacterial Surfaces ◽

First Time

ABSTRACTBiofilms are a major source of medical device-associated infections, due to their persistent growth and antibiotic resistance. Recent studies have shown that engineering surface nanoroughness has great potential to create antibacterial surfaces. In addition, stimulation of bacterial metabolism increases the efficacy of antibacterial agents to eradicate biofilms. In this study, we combined the antibacterial effects of nanorough topographies with metabolic stimulation (i.e., fructose metabolites) to further decrease bacterial growth on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) surfaces, without using antibiotics. We showed for the first time that the presence of fructose on nanorough PVC surfaces decreased planktonic bacteria growth and biofilm formation after 24 hours. Most importantly, a 60% decrease was observed on nanorough PVC surfaces soaked in a 10 mM fructose solution compared to conventional PVC surfaces. In this manner, this study demonstrated that bacteria growth can be significantly decreased through the combined use of fructose and nanorough surfaces and thus should be further studied for a wide range of antibacterial applications.

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