MICR 2420 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Antimicrobial Resistance, Antibiotics, Alginic Acid
27 Jun 2018
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Department
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Microbial Associations, Biofilms, Quorum Sensing and Symbiosis
Biofilms
Microbial Communities Chapter 4.5
Biofilms – Can Bacteria Collaborate?
Bacteria are typically thought of as unicellular, but many, if not most, bacteria in nature
form specialized, surface- attached, collaborative communities called biofilms.
From platonic stage to adhered
• Aquatic environments – rocks, hulls of ships
• Soils – roots, wetlands
• Humans – teeth, guts *can also cause disease*
Bacterial Biofilms
Bacterial biofilms form when nutrients are plentiful
-Once nutrients become scarce, individuals detach from the community to forage for new
sources of nutrients.
Biofilms in nature can take many different forms and serve different functions for
different species
The formation of biofilms can be cued by different environmental signals in different
species.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Biofilms Video:
Plaque is a biofilm that grows on teeth
First stage of biofilm formation: environmental signal
Twitching motility by pilus
Biofilms
Chemical signals enable bacteria to communicate (quorum sensing) and in some cases to
form biofilms
Biofilm development involves:
- The adherence of cells to a substrate
-The formation of micro colonies
-Ultimately, the formation of complex channeled communities that generate new
planktonic cells
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Bacteria are typically thought of as unicellular, but many, if not most, bacteria in nature form specialized, surface- attached, collaborative communities called biofilms. From platonic stage to adhered: aquatic environments rocks, hulls of ships, soils roots, wetlands, humans teeth, guts *can also cause disease* Bacterial biofilms form when nutrients are plentiful. Once nutrients become scarce, individuals detach from the community to forage for new sources of nutrients. Biofilms in nature can take many different forms and serve different functions for different species. The formation of biofilms can be cued by different environmental signals in different species. Plaque is a biofilm that grows on teeth. First stage of biofilm formation: environmental signal. Chemical signals enable bacteria to communicate (quorum sensing) and in some cases to form biofilms. The adherence of cells to a substrate. Ultimately, the formation of complex channeled communities that generate new planktonic cells.
