biofilm

Examples of biofilm in the following topics:

• Biofilms and Disease

  • Biofilms form when microorganisms adhere to the surface of some object in a moist environment and begin to reproduce .
  • Biofilm infections develop gradually and often do not cause immediate symptoms.
  • Once an infection by a biofilm is established, it is very difficult to eradicate because biofilms tend to be resistant to most of the methods used to control microbial growth, including antibiotics.
  • Biofilms respond poorly or only temporarily to antibiotics.
  • Give examples of the roles played by biofilms in human diseases

• Biofilms

  • The final stage of biofilm formation is known as development; this is the stage in which the biofilm is established and may change only in shape and size.
  • In sum, the five stages of biofilm development are as follows:
  • Dispersal of cells from the biofilm colony is an essential stage of the biofilm life cycle.
  • Enzymes that degrade the biofilm extracellular matrix, such as dispersin B and deoxyribonuclease, may play a role in biofilm dispersal.
  • Biofilm matrix-degrading enzymes may be useful as anti-biofilm agents.

• Biofilms and Infections

  • Biofilms are ubiquitous.
  • The patients with biofilms were shown to have been denuded of cilia and goblet cells, unlike the controls without biofilms who had normal cilia and goblet cell morphology.
  • Biofilms were also found on samples from two of 10 healthy controls mentioned.
  • The biofilms attached to the surfaces of some dental alloys, impression materials, dental implants, restorative and cement materials play an essential role concerning the biofilms establishment dynamics toward the physical-chemical properties of the materials which biofilms are attached to.
  • 5 stages of biofilm development.

• Biofilms, Persisters, and Antibiotic Tolerance

  • Biofilms and persisters are bacterial communities responsible for chronic diseases and antibiotic tolerance.
  • Biofilms are bacteria that have formed a gated community.
  • Biofilms are composed of an aggregate of bacterial cells and are essentially considered a multi-cellular organism.
  • Biofilms and persisters are the cause of multidrug tolerance.
  • Explain the role of biofilms and persisters in multidrug tolerance, distinguishing this from multidrug resistance

• Extremophiles and Biofilms

  • Biofilms grow attached to surfaces.
  • Some of the best-studied biofilms are composed of prokaryotes, although fungal biofilms have also been described, as well as some composed of a mixture of fungi and bacteria.
  • Five stages of biofilm development are shown.
  • An extracellular matrix composed primarily of polysaccharides holds the biofilm together.
  • Discuss the distinguishing features of extremophiles and the environments that produce biofilms

• Extracellular Immune Avoidance

  • A biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other on a surface.
  • Biofilm EPS, which is also referred to as slime, is a polymeric conglomeration generally composed of extracellular DNA, proteins, and polysaccharides.
  • Some bacteria even form biofilms which protect them from the proteins and cells of the immune system.
  • Many successful infections often involve biofilms.

• Signaling in Bacteria

  • Some species of bacteria that use quorum sensing form biofilms, which are complex colonies of bacteria (often containing several species) that exchange chemical signals to coordinate the release of toxins that attack the host.
  • Bacterial biofilms can sometimes be found on medical equipment.
  • When biofilms invade implants, such as hip or knee replacements or heart pacemakers, they can cause life-threatening infections .
  • Cell-cell communication enables these (a) Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to work together to form a biofilm inside a hospital patient's catheter, seen here via scanning electron microscopy.

• The FISH Technique

  • Biofilms, for example, are composed of complex (often) multi-species bacterial organizations.
  • Preparing DNA probes for one species and performing FISH with this probe allows one to visualize the distribution of this specific species within the biofilm.
  • Preparing probes (in two different colors) for two species allows to visualize/study co-localization of these two species in the biofilm, and can be useful in determining the fine architecture of the biofilm.

• Defining Microbes

  • Biofilms, microbial communities that are very difficult to destroy, are considered responsible for diseases such as bacterial infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, Legionnaires' disease, and otitis media.
  • Biofilms also produce foodborne diseases because they colonize the surfaces of food and food-processing equipment.
  • Biofilms are a large threat because they are resistant to most of the methods used to control microbial growth.

• Glycocalyx

  • It serves to protect the bacterium from harmful phagocytes by creating capsules or allowing the bacterium to attach itself to inert surfaces, like teeth or rocks, via biofilms (e.g.
  • This diagram depicts the different types of glycocalyx. 1) Bacterial capsule is a well-organized layer outside the cell. 2) Slime layer is diffuse and irregular in structure. 3) Bacteria can form biofilms by fusing their glycocalyxes.