Biofilms News and Research

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Unlocking Bacterial Dormancy: Polyphosphates' Role Revealed

Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick.

12 Apr 2024

Novel Antibiotic Discovery: Harnessing Energy Compounds to Combat Bacterial Infections

About a decade ago, researchers in UC Santa Barbara chemistry professor Guillermo Bazan's lab began to observe a recurring challenge in their research: Some of the compounds they were developing to harness energy from bacteria were instead killing the microbes.

22 Feb 2024

Induction Cooktop Technology Shows Promise in Reducing Bacterial Infection in Prosthetic Joints

The same technology at work in induction cooktops cut the amount of bacteria present in a prosthetic joint infection when used in conjunction with antibiotics in a mouse model, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report in a new study.

19 Feb 2024

Study Identifies Link Between Gut Microbiome Composition and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by decreased social communication and repetitive behaviors, has long intrigued scientists seeking to unravel its underlying mechanisms.

14 Feb 2024

Bacteria Arrangement in Biofilm Influences Reaction to Antibiotics

Although bacteria are typically thought of as single-celled creatures suspended in liquids or dispersed sparsely across surfaces, their true mode of growth is in sticky clusters known as biofilms in many settings.

5 Feb 2024

New Method Labels Viruses for Efficient Tracking and Tailoring

At the grocery store, barcodes make it quick and simple to identify products and frequently contain important details like quantity, location, and tracking.

22 Jan 2024

Insights into the Shaping and Organization of Microbial Communities

Dental plaque, gut bacteria, and the slick coating on river rocks exemplify biofilms—structured communities of microorganisms that inhabit both human bodies and the surrounding environment.

11 Dec 2023

Novel Approach Reveals Intergenerational Cooperation Among Bacteria

Bacteria collaborate and share nutrients among generations when they form communities. Using a recently invented technique, researchers at the University of Basel have been able to demonstrate this for the first time.

22 Nov 2023

OSU Scientists to Send Biofilms to Space to Study Gravity Effects

Two faculty members affiliated with the College of Engineering at Oregon State University have teamed up with NASA for a National Science Foundation project valued at $525,000.

21 Nov 2023

A Glimpse Into the World of Bacterial Metabolism Within Hosts

Researchers from Kiel University (CAU) and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen are shedding light on the enigmatic world of bacteria that coexist or parasitize animal hosts.

9 Nov 2023

Sunflower Waste Compounds Offer Natural Alternative to Fungicides

Opening a clamshell of berries and seeing them coated in fuzzy mold is a downer. And it's no small problem.

26 Oct 2023

Tackling Pollution with Plastic-Eating Enzymes

Two novel enzymes can degrade one of the most prevalent single-use plastics, according to a study published in the journal Biofilms and Microbiomes by Brunel University London.

17 Oct 2023

How to Prevent Biofilms in Space

After exposure in space aboard the International Space Station, a new kind of surface treatment significantly reduced the growth of biofilms, scientists report. Biofilms are mats of microbial or fungal growth that can clog hoses or filters in water processing systems, or potentially cause illness in people.

8 Sep 2023

Plastics in Soil Might Make Bacteria More Resistant to Antibiotics

Modern farming, like any other industry, is heavily reliant on plastics. To name a few examples, consider plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging.

24 Aug 2023

"Oil-eating" Bacteria Form Dendritic Biofilms to Speed Up Oil Consumption

"Oil-eating" Alcanivorax borkumensis bacteria form "dendritic" biofilms that reshape oil droplets to speed up the rate of consumption, researchers report.

21 Aug 2023

Beneficial Microbe Could be Effective Against Fungal Pathogens Wreaking Havoc on Golf Courses

There's a reason sports leagues from the pros on down use turfgrass. It is a hearty grass that can be mowed to exceedingly short heights and tolerates trampling foot traffic with ease.

4 Aug 2023

Gut Hormone Plays a Vital Role in Maintaining the Balance of Fungi in the Digestive System of Mammals

Peptide YY (PYY), a hormone produced by gut endocrine cells that was already known to control appetite, also plays an important role in maintaining the balance of fungi in the digestive system of mammals, according to new research from the University of Chicago.

4 Aug 2023

The Influence of Streptomyces on Soil Microorganisms

Chemical substances called arginoketides, which are produced by bacteria of the genus Streptomyces, cause a variety of reactions in other microorganisms: Algae group together to form aggregates, fungi produce signaling molecules that they would not otherwise produce, and bacteria develop biofilms that cause other organisms to respond differently.

28 Jun 2023

Scientists Engineer the First CRISPR-Based Drug Candidate to Directly Target E. Coli

Many people have experienced infections from E. coli, which are primarily seen as inconvenient and unpleasant.

10 May 2023

Tokyo Tech Researchers Discover How Surface Chemistry can Influence Adhesion of Bacterial Cells

The biofilm-forming bacteria E. coli adheres firmly to hydrophobic and hydrophilic protein-adsorbing self-assembling monolayers (SAMs) and weakly to hydrophilic protein-resisting SAMs, uncovered a recent study by Tokyo Tech researchers.

8 May 2023