Search results for "BIOFILM"
showing 10 items of 394 documents
Marine biominerals: perspectives and challenges for polymetallic nodules and crusts.
2009
Deep sea minerals in polymetallic nodules, crusts and hydrothermal vents are not only formed by mineralization but also by biologically driven processes involving microorganisms (biomineralization). Within the nodules, free-living and biofilm-forming bacteria provide the matrix for manganese deposition, and in cobalt-rich crusts, coccolithophores represent the dominant organisms that act as bio-seeds for an initial manganese deposition. These (bio)minerals are economically important: manganese is an important alloying component and cobalt forms part of special steels in addition to being used, along with other rare metals, in plasma screens, hard-disk magnets and hybrid car motors. Recent p…
Preventing root caries development under oral biofilm challenge in an artificial mouth
2013
Objectives: To study the preventive effects of chlorhexidine against root caries under oral biofilm in an artificial mouth. Study Design: Sixteen human tooth-root disks were inoculated with a salivary sample that was produced by mixing the unstimulated saliva of three adults who had no untreated caries. The disks were incubated in an artificial mouth fed with a 5% sucrose solution three times daily for one week. Eight disks received a twice daily rinse of 0.12% chlorhexidine (test group). The other eight disks were rinsed in distilled water (control). The biofilm was then studied with three techniques: colony forming unit (CFU) counting, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser…
A peptide from human β thymosin as a platform for the development of new anti-biofilm agents for Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa
2016
Conventional antibiotics might fail in the treatment of biofilm-associated infections causing infection recurrence and chronicity. The search for antimicrobial peptides has been performed with the aim to discover novel anti-infective agents active on pathogens in both planktonic and biofilm associated forms. The fragment 9-19 of human thymosin β4 was studied through 1 μs MD simulation. Two main conformations of the peptide were detected, both constituted by a central hydrophobic core and by the presence of peripheral charged residues suggesting a possible mechanism of interaction with two models of biological membranes, related to eukaryotic or bacterial membrane respectively. In addition, …
Structure-based analyses of Salmonella RcsB variants unravel new features of the Rcs regulon
2021
18 páginas, 7 figuras, 2 tablas
Characterization of the biofilm mode of life in the spoilage yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis
2022
The management of contamination by the spoilage yeast Brettanomyces bruxellensis is a real challenge for the wine industry. The biofilm mode of life, known to increase the resistance of micro-organisms and to allow their persistence in the environment, is a strategy that can be adopted by B. bruxellensis.In this thesis project, microscopic observations revealed the presence of matrix around the cells, an essential element in the definition of a biofilm. The study also revealed that different morphotypes are involved in the structure of the biofilm, in particular filaments forming a network. Chlamydospore-like elements, never described before in B. bruxellensis, were observed within the biof…
Effect of C/N shock variation on the performances of a moving bed membrane bioreactor.
2015
Abstract The effect of a sharp variation of C/N ratio in a moving bed membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) pilot plant treating high strength wastewater has been investigated. The experimental campaign was divided into two periods, each characterized by a different C/N ratio (namely, 2.5 and 15, Period 1 and Period 2, respectively). The MB-MBR system was analyzed in terms of organic carbon removal, nitrification efficiency, biokinetic activity and fouling behavior. The results showed that the nitrification process was severely affected by lower C/N value and by high concentration of ammonia. It was noticed an extensive stress effect on the autotrophic bacteria. Furthermore, it was observed an incre…
Pga26 mediates filamentation and biofilm formation and is required for virulence in Candida albicans
2011
The Candida albicans gene PGA26 encodes a small cell wall protein and is upregulated during de novo wall synthesis in protoplasts. Disruption of PGA26 caused hypersensitivity to cell wall-perturbing compounds (Calcofluor white and Congo red) and to zymolyase, which degrades the cell wall β-1,3-glucan network. However, susceptibility to caspofungin, an inhibitor of β-1,3-glucan synthesis, was decreased. In addition, pga26Δ mutants show increased susceptibility to antifungals (fluconazol, posaconazol or amphotericin B) that target the plasma membrane and have altered sensitivities to environmental (heat, osmotic and oxidative) stresses. Except for a threefold increase in β-1,6-glucan and a sl…
Biogenic iron-silver nanoparticles inhibit bacterial biofilm formation due to Ag+ release as determined by a novel phycoerythrin-based assay
2020
Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) can be considered as a cost-effective alternative to antibiotics. In the presence of Fe(III)-citrate and Ag+, Klebsiella oxytoca DSM 29614 produces biogenic Ag-NPs embedded in its peculiar exopolysaccharide (EPS). K. oxytoca DSM 29614 was cultivated in a defined growth medium–containing citrate (as sole carbon source) and supplemented with Ag+ and either low or high Fe(III) concentration. As inferred from elemental analysis, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and dynamic light scattering, Ag-EPS NPs were produced in both conditions and contained also Fe. The production yield of high-Fe/Ag-EPS NPs was 12 times …
Nanostructured medical sutures with antibacterial properties
2014
Bacterial repellence in suture materials is a desirable property that can potentially improve the healing process by preventing infection. We describe a method for generating nanostructures at the surface of commercial sutures of different composition, and their potential for preventing biofilm formation. We show how bacteria attachment is altered in the presence of nanosized topographies and identify optimum designs for preventing it without compromising biocompatibility and applicability in terms of nanostructure robustness or tissue friction. These studies open new possibilities for flexible and cost-effective realization of topography-based antibacterial coatings for absorbable biomedic…
Staphylococcal Biofilms:Challenges in the Discovery of Novel Antiinfective Agents
2011
Staphylococci can induce a wide spectrum of infectious diseases that are associated with remarkable morbidity and mortality [1]. In fact, community and hospital-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major health problem that has created a pressing need for novel therapeutic options [2]. Importantly, pathogenic staphylococci have not only an amazing ability to acquire resistance to antibiotics, but also to form biofilms, bacterial communities that grow on surfaces and are surrounded by a self-produced polymer matrix. This latter characteristic is likely the most important virulence factor of staphylococci in the development of the chronic form of infectious disease…