Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE)
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/9334
At the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), multidisciplinary research teams develop beneficial uses for microbial biofilms and find solutions to industrially relevant biofilm problems. The CBE was established at Montana State University, Bozeman, in 1990 as a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. As part of the MSU College of Engineering, the CBE gives students a chance to get a head start on their careers by working on research teams led by world-recognized leaders in the biofilm field.
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Item Measurement of local effective diffusivity in heterogeneous biofilms(1998-11) Beyenal, Haluk; Tanyolac, A.; Lewandowski, ZbigniewWe have developed a novel technique to measure local effective diffusivity distribution in heterogeneous biofilms. Mobile microelectrodes (tip diameter 10 μm) and the limiting current technique were employed to measure the effective diffusivity of electroactive species introduced to natural and artificial biofilms. We calibrated the microelectrodes in artificial biofilms of known effective diffusivity and known density. In mixed population biofilms, local effective diffusivity varied from one location to another and decreased toward the bottom of the biofilm. We related local effective diffusivity to local biofilm density using an empirical equation. Surface-averaged biomass density depended on liquid flow velocity at which the biofilms were grown. The higher the flow velocity, the denser were the biofilms. Our technique permits fast evaluation of local effective diffusivity and biofilm density in heterogeneous biofilms.Item Evaluation of regulations for monitoring the microbial quality of drinking water(1998) Camper, Anne K.; Hamilton, Martin A.Item Spatial relations between bacteria and metal surfaces(1997) Little, Brenda J.; Wagner, Patricia A.; Lewandowski, ZbigniewItem Strategies for prophylaxis against prosthetic valve endocarditis: a review article(1998-05) Hyde, J. A.; Darouiche, R. O.; Costerton, J. WilliamItem Development and structure of drinking water biofilms and techniques for their study(1999-12) Camper, Anne K.; Burr, Mark D.; Ellis, B. D.; Butterfield, Phillip W.; Abernathy, Calvin G.Item Quantifying biofilm structure(1999) Lewandowski, Zbigniew; Webb, D.; Hamilton, Martin A.; Harkin, GaryThis article defines some quantitative parameters for describing the structure of a biofilm. The parameters can be calculated from a two-dimensional cross-sectional image on a plane parallel to the substratum within an in situ biofilm. Such images can be acquired using a confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). The parameters will eventually be used for eliciting relationships between the biofilm's structure and its biochemical function, and for computer model evaluation. The results shown here indicate that the structural parameters appear to be reaching steady-state conditions as the biofilm grows to a steady state.Item The role of (bio)surfactant sorption in promoting the bioavailability of nutrients localized at the solid-water interface(1999) Jordan, Ryan N.; Nichols, E. P.; Cunningham, Alfred B.Bioavailability is herein defined as the accessibility of a substrate by a microorganism. Further, bioavailability is governed by (1) the substrate concentration that the cell membrane “sees,” (i.e., the “directly bioavailable” pool) as well as (2) the rate of mass transfer from potentially bioavailable (e.g., nonaqueous) phases to the directly bioavailable (e.g., aqueous) phase. Mechanisms by which sorbed (bio)surfactants influence these two processes are discussed. We propose the hypothesis that the sorption of (bio)surfactants at the solid-liquid interface is partially responsible for the increased bioavailability of surface-bound nutrients, and offer this as a basis for suggesting the development of engineered in-situ bioremediation technologies that take advantage of low (bio)surfactant concentrations. In addition, other industrial systems where bioavailability phenomena should be considered are addressed.Item Influence of hydrodynamics and nutrients on biofilm structure(1999-12) Stoodley, Paul; Dodds, I.; Boyle, John D.; Lappin-Scott, H. M.Hydrodynamic conditions control two interlinked parameters; mass transfer and drag, and will, therefore, significantly influence many of the processes involved in biofilm development. The goal of this research was to determine the effect of flow velocity and nutrients on biofilm structure. Biofilms were grown in square glass capillary flow cells under laminar and turbulent flows. Biofilms were observed microscopically under flow conditions using image analysis. Mixed species bacterial biofilms were grown with glucose (40 mg/l) as the limiting nutrient. Biofilms grown under laminar conditions were patchy and consisted of roughly circular cell clusters separated by interstitial voids. Biofilms in the turbulent flow cell were also patchy but these biofilms consisted of patches of ripples and elongated ‘streamers' which oscillated in the flow. To assess the influence of changing nutrient conditions on biofilm structure the glucose concentration was increased from 40 to 400 mg/l on an established 21 day old biofilm growing in turbulent flow. The cell clusters grew rapidly and the thickness of the biofilm increased from 30 μ to 130 μ within 17 h. The ripples disappeared after 10 hours. After 5 d the glucose concentration was reduced back to 40 mg/l. There was a loss of biomass and patches of ripples were re-established within a further 2 d.Item Bacterial biofilms: A common cause of persistent infections(1999-05) Costerton, J. William; Stewart, Philip S.; Greenberg, E. P.Bacteria that attach to surfaces aggregate in a hydrated polymeric matrix of their own synthesis to form biofilms. Formation of these sessile communities and their inherent resistance to antimicrobial agents are at the root of many persistent and chronic bacterial infections. Studies of biofilms have revealed differentiated, structured groups of cells with community properties. Recent advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of bacterial community behavior point to therapeutic targets that may provide a means for the control of biofilm infections.Item Electrolytic generation of oxygen partially explains electrical enhancement of tobramycin efficacy against pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm(1999-02) Stewart, Philip S.; Wattanakaroon, Wanida; Goodrum, L.; Fortun, Susana M.; McLeod, Bruce R.The role of electrolysis products, including protons, hydroxyl ions, reactive oxygen intermediates, oxygen, hydrogen, and heat, in mediating electrical enhancement of killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms by tobramycin (the bioelectric effect) was investigated. The log reduction in biofilm viable cell numbers compared to the numbers for the untreated positive control effected by antibiotic increased from 2.88 in the absence of electric current to 5.58 in the presence of electric current. No enhancement of antibiotic efficacy was observed when the buffer composition was changed to simulate the reduced pH that prevails during electrolysis. Neither did stabilization of the pH during electrical treatment by increasing the buffer strength eliminate the bioelectric effect. The temperature increase measured in our experiments, less than 0.2°C, was far too small to account for the greatly enhanced antibiotic efficacy. The addition of sodium thiosulfate, an agent capable of rapidly neutralizing reactive oxygen intermediates, did not abolish electrical enhancement of killing. The bioelectric effect persisted when all of the ionic constituents of the medium except the two phosphate buffer components were omitted. This renders the possibility of electrochemical generation of an inhibitory ion, such as nitrite from nitrate, an unlikely explanation for electrical enhancement. The one plausible explanation for the bioelectric effect revealed by this study was the increased delivery of oxygen to the biofilm due to electrolysis. When gaseous oxygen was bubbled into the treatment chamber during exposure to tobramycin (without electric current), a 1.8-log enhancement of killing resulted. The enhancement of antibiotic killing by oxygen was not due simply to physical disturbances caused by sparging the gas because similar delivery of gaseous hydrogen caused no enhancement whatsoever.