Search results for "Biofilms"

Btn2p is involved in ethanol tolerance and biofilm formation in flor yeast

2008

Flor yeasts are a particular kind of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains involved in Sherry wine biological ageing. During this process, yeasts form a film on the wine surface and use ethanol as a carbon source, producing acetaldehyde as a by-product. Acetaldehyde induces BTN2 transcription in laboratory strains. Btn2p is involved in the control of the subcellular localization of different proteins. The BTN2 gene shows a complex expression pattern in wine yeast, increasing its expression by acetaldehyde, but repressing it by ethanol. A flor yeast strain transcribes more BTN2 than a first fermentation yeast during growth, but less under different stress conditions. BTN2 deletion decreases flor …

AcetyltransferaseSAS2and sirtuinSIR2,respectively, control flocculation and biofilm formation in wine yeast

2014

Cell-to-cell and cell-to-environment interactions of microorganisms are of substantial relevance for their biotechnological use. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, flocculation can be an advantage to clarify final liquid products after fermentation, and biofilm formation may be relevant for the encapsulation of strains of interest. The adhesion properties of wine yeast strains can be modified by the genetic manipulation of transcriptional regulatory proteins, such as histone deacetylases, and acetylases. Sirtuin SIR2 is essential for the formation of mat structures, a kind of biofilm that requires the expression of cell-wall protein FLO11 as its deletion reduces FLO11 expression, and ad…

Comparison between moving bed-membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) and membrane bioreactor (MBR) systems: Influence of wastewater salinity variation

2014

Two pilot plant systems were investigated for the treatment of wastewater subject to a gradual increase of salinity. In particular, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a moving bed biofilm membrane bioreactor (MB-MBR) were analyzed. Carbon and ammonium removal, kinetic constants and membranes fouling rates have been assessed. Both plants showed very high efficiency in terms of carbon and ammonium removal and the gradual salinity increase led to a good acclimation of the biomass, as confirmed by the respirometric tests. Significant biofilm detachments from carriers were experienced, which contributed to increase the irreversible superficial cake deposition. However, this aspect prevented the por…

A self-sterilizing fluorescent Nanocomposite as versatile material with broad-spectrum Antibiofilm features

2020

Abstract Hematogenous spread of infections from colonized central intravenous catheters or central lines is a long-recognized problem with infection rates of 2 and 6.8 per 1000 days, respectively. Besides, removal of severe microbial colonization of implanted biomaterials is still a challenge and usually requires invasive operations. Hence, on demand self-sterilizing materials are required to avoid explant of colonized biomaterials and improve patient compliance. Moreover, photoluminescence is needed to make trackable biomaterials, which can be easily monitored upon implanting them in the body. Here, we propose the incorporation of near infrared (NIR) sensitive red-emitting carbon nanodot (…

Paracentrin1, a synthetic antimicrobial peptide fragment of a beta-thymosin from the sea-urchin Paracentrotus lividus, interferes whith staphylococca…

2014

Response of seagrasses and marine biofilms to natural acidification at CO2 vents

Nel corso degli ultimi 200 anni, circa il 30% delle emissioni antropogeniche di CO2 nell’atmosfera sono state assorbite dagli oceani, provocando un abbassamento medio dei livelli di pH oceanici pari a circa 0.1 unità. Questo fenomeno, noto come acidificazione degli oceani, sta determinando conseguenze negative sugli ecosistemi marini e sul loro funzionamento. Le attuali proiezioni climatiche suggeriscono che, in futuro, i cambiamenti climatici continueranno e si intensificheranno se non verranno adottate efficaci misure di mitigazione. Riuscire a valutare la risposta degli ecosistemi marini ai cambiamenti climatici costituisce una vera sfida per la ricerca scientifica, non solo per la diffi…

Oregano essential oils activity against Listeria monocitogenes biofilms

2015

Resistance to disinfection of a polymicrobial association contaminating the surface of elastomeric dental impressions.

2009

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability to resist disinfection of a polymicrobial association contaminating the surface of dental impressions obtained with two different elastomers: a polyether (Impregum) and an addition-polymerized silicone (Elite). Impressions were contaminated with a mixture of three biofilm-forming microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans) and disinfected immediately after contamination, or after microbial layers were allowed to develop during a six-hour storage. Two commercial disinfectants were tested: MD 520 containing 0.5% glutaraldehyde and Sterigum Powder without glutaraldehyde. Residual contamination was recover…

A multifunctional peptidomimetic macromolecule to fight polymicrobial infections

2018

Electron transfer mechanism in Shewanella loihica PV-4 biofilms formed at graphite electrode

2012

Abstract Electron transfer mechanisms in Shewanella loihica PV-4 viable biofilms formed at graphite electrodes were investigated in potentiostat-controlled electrochemical cells poised at oxidative potentials (0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl). Chronoamperometry (CA) showed a repeatable biofilm growth of S. loihica PV-4 on graphite electrode. CA, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and its first derivative shows that both direct electron transfer (DET) mediated electron transfer (MET) mechanism contributes to the overall anodic (oxidation) current. The maximum anodic current density recorded on graphite was 90 μA cm − 2 . Fluorescence emission spectra shows increased concentration of quinone derivatives and riboflavi…