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This page lists the top ten most read articles for this journal based on the number of full text views and downloads recorded on Cambridge Core over the last 90 days. This list is updated on a daily basis.
Introducing Biofilms
- W. J. Costerton, M. Wilson
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 May 2004, pp. 1-4
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The concept that bacteria live preferentially in matrix-enclosed communities attached to surfaces has emerged gradually from scientific observations over an extended period of time, but the pace at which this concept has advanced has accelerated sharply during the past two decades. Because Antonie van Leuwenhoek examined his own teeth scrapings with his primitive microscope, he probably saw more biofilm fragments than planktonic cells, and dental microbiologists and waste-water engineers have had a lengthy association with biofilms without using that term. Early microscopic observations of marine systems showed that most bacteria adhered actively to surfaces, and the role of surfaces in the migration and maturation of myxobacterial communities was noted very early in the study of these fascinating organisms. The new concept that was crystallized in a Scientific American article in February 1978 (Costerton, J. W., Geesey, G. G. & Cheng, K. J. (1978) How bacteria stick. Scientific American238, 86–95) was that these surface associations were the rule (and not the exception) in all nutrient-sufficient microbial ecosystems, and that most bacteria in the biosphere grow in biofilms.
Listeria monocytogenes: biofilm formation and persistence in food-processing environments
- T. Møretrø, S. Langsrud
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 September 2004, pp. 107-121
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Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous in nature and a major concern for the food industry, since it is the causal agent of the serious foodborne illness listeriosis. This organism can be introduced through many routes to food-processing environments and may become established on food-processing equipment. Subsequently, food products may become contaminated during processing. In addition, the bacterium can grow at refrigeration temperatures. Biofilms are regarded as important with respect to the survival and growth of microorganisms in the food industry. Microorganisms growing in biofilms are protected against cleaning and disinfection and are difficult to eradicate. Listeria monocytogenes may grow in biofilms that protect them against environmental stress and can be isolated from surfaces after cleaning and disinfection. For each individual food-processing plant, a limited number of clones of L. monocytogenes may become established and persist for years. Persistent strains adhere to surfaces and form biofilms more readily compared to sporadically found strains, suggesting that adherence to surfaces is important for survival and persistence of L. monocytogenes in food-processing environments. Listeria monocytogenes can adhere to all the materials commonly used in the food industry. In biofilms L. monocytogenes is significantly more resistant to disinfection than its free-living counterparts and thick, complex biofilms are more difficult to remove than adherent single cells of L. monocytogenes. Several novel approaches to avoid adhesion of L. monocytogenes have been proposed, but high costs, practical difficulties or resistance problems limit their practical use. Despite considerable research on the adhesive properties and resistance of L. monocytogenes enabling its survival in the food production environment, a final solution for avoiding establishment of the bacterium has not yet been found.
Abstracts of an international conference “Biofilms II: Attachment and detachment in pure and mixed cultures”, held at the Leipziger Kubus UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany, from 23 March to 24 March 2006
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 26 May 2006, pp. 245-273
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The effect of growth and detachment on formation of large-scale biofilm structure
Biofilm cohesive energy density determination using a novel atomic force microscopy methodology
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy under two-photon excitation for the study of diffusion and reactivity of bacteriophage inside bacterial biofilms
Biothermodynamic characterization and dynamic analysis of biofilms using calorimetry
Biomimetic antifouling coatings for sensor surfaces for water monitoring: performance control in defined biofilm cultures and under real environmental conditions
The contribution of rpos to formation of Escherichia coli biofilms
Synergistic effects in mixed Escherichia coli biofilms: conjugative plasmid transfer drives biofilm expansion
The universal stress protein PA3309 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is induced in biofilms
Extracellular polymeric substances from biofilms on membranes in waste-water treatment plants
Biofilm-to-planktonic cell yield: a strategy for proliferation
Physiological and phylogenetic characterization of the dispersed and loosely attached fraction of activated sludge flocs
Towards a deterministic model of biofilm detachment: an experimental study
Effect of backwash on the characteristics of biofilm in a biological activated filter reactor using elemental sulfur particles
Process performance and biomass properties in membrane-aerated bioreactors
Bioaugmentation via conjugation in biofilms treating 3-chloroaniline: effects of selective pressure
Effect of phosphorus on biofilm growth in a completely mixed biofilm reactor
Impacts of biofilm development on reactive transport in porous media under variable flow regimens
Influence of biofilms on colloid mobility in the subsurface
Biofilms in amendable in situ microcosms indicate relevant electron acceptor processes at a BTEX-contaminated aquifer
Functional biodiversity of complex biofilms grown on polychlorinated biphenyl oil
Identification and characterization of biofilm formation phenotypes of several clinically relevant Streptococcus pyogenes serotype strains
Selected probiotic bacteria disrupt biofilm development of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium
Comparison of the extracellular polymeric substances of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis biofilms
Influence of quorum-sensing regulated production of an antimicrobial component by Serratia plymuthica on establishment of dual species biofilms with Escherichia coli
Biofilm formation by the thermophilic and cellulolytic actinomycete Thermobifida fusca
Biomonitoring of bacterial contamination on different surfaces of food-processing machines
Role of the flagella during the adhesion of Listeria monocytogenes EGD-e to inert surfaces after cultivation at different pHs and temperatures
Adhesion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to stainless steel: influence of surface properties
Investigating the mechanical strength of biofilms with fluid dynamic gauging
Three-dimensional biofilm model with individual cells and continuum extracellular polymeric substances matrix
A three-dimensional computer model analysis of four hypothetical biofilm detachment mechanisms
Modelling biofilm growth, detachment and fluid flow in a cross-section of tube reactors
Biofilm games
Effects of smectite clay on biofilm formation by microorganisms
- A. Alimova, M. Roberts, A. Katz, E. Rudolph, J. C. Steiner, R. R. Alfano, P. Gottlieb
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- 01 January 2006, pp. 47-54
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We have investigated the role of smectite clay particles in biofilm formation by several different species of bacteria (Pseudomonas syringae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis). We observed that the presence of clay particles enhances the formation of biofilms and, after 24 h, the bacterial populations in the clay mixtures were greater than the respective populations in media without clay. Smectite-bearing clay slurries uniformly develop bacteria–clay aggregates with a substantial biofilm component within 24 h, while the exclusively bacterial suspensions do not develop any observable biofilm component. The biofilm–clay aggregates vary in size from tens of micrometers to several millimeters. Biofilm formation was evaluated by phase contrast microscopy and fluorescence staining. Biofilm promotion by smectite clays may indicate the importance of transport of bacteria by aerosol dust particles.
Abstracts of a joint meeting of the Association of Clinical Oral Microbiologists and the Biofilm Club held at the Eastman Dental Institute, University College London on 2 March 2004
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 September 2004, pp. 139-145
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Principles of antimicrobial biomaterials: why they do not (usually) work
Characterization of bacterial adhesion onto surfaces of stainless steel by micromanipulation
Yersinia spp./C. elegans infection model: biofilms on a biotic surface
Periodontal pathogens in dental unit waterlines
Biofilms as reservoirs of antibiotic resistance
Systemic antimicrobials and periodontitis – a classic biofilm disease
Prion disease in the dental setting
Reviewing the role of biofilms in infection control
Infection control in dental technology laboratories
Review of the treatment aspects of dental unit water systems
Abstracts of the First European Conference on “Biofilms – prevention of microbial adhesion”, held at the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt DBU in Osnabrück, Germany, from 31 March to 2 April 2004
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- 24 January 2005, pp. 183-223
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Jamming the command language of bacteria: a new approach to the control of bacterial infections
The cep quorum-sensing system of Burkholderia cepacia H111 plays a pivotal role for biofilm formation and pathogenicity
Detachment of Shewanella oneidensis MR1 biofilms
Protozoan grazing on biofilms and the role of quorum sensing in grazing resistance
Control of heat exchanger biofilms
Computer-aided design of a novel antibacterial agent for the treatment of Burkholderia cepacia infections
Anaerobic regulatory network essential for efficient Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation
Development and testing of a new phosphorylcholine polymer coating to prevent biofilm formation on optical fiber sensor systems
Bactericidal layers based on silver nanoparticles
Metagenomics: a novel tool to exploit microbial communities for industrial applications
Formation of biofilms – do not forget the hydrodynamics
Microbial adhesion – a target for the development of household and industrial products
Concept of a specialty paper producer to avoid microbiological problems
Identification of primary biofilm organisms on steel surfaces of bottling plants
Carbon sharing in complex microbial biofilms grown on polychlorinated biphenyl droplets
Development of methods for assessing microbial colonization of coil-coated steel sheets
Microbial in situ activity assessment using “BACTRAPS” with 13C-labelled substrates
Magnetic resonance imaging as a tool for non-invasive imaging of biofilms
Phototrophic biofilms – development and growth characteristics in a special flow chamber
A new mechanism of bacterial adhesion to materials and organisms containing the chitin and/or chitosan
Extracellular polymeric substances – the “glue” of biofilms
Sphingomonas biofilm architecture grown under different hydrodynamic conditions
Molecular basis of biofilm formation in staphylococci and its implication for virulence
Extracellular polymeric substances – the dark matter of biofilms
The multi-functional Staphylococcus aureus autolysin Aaa mediates adherence to immobilized fibrinogen and fibronectin
Hierarchy within the regulatory cascade of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm formation
Human biofilms in situ
An in vitro testing system based on bioreactor technology for the analysis of biofilm formation on dental materials
Immune compounds – inhibitors of microbial adhesion in cell culture
A proteomic approach to identify quorum-sensing regulated and surface-induced proteins of the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida IsoF
Evidence that IcaB deacetylases the staphylococcal N-acetylglucosamine polymer polysaccharide intercellular adhesin
Microelectrode and confocal laser scanning microscopy study of particle-supported biofilms
Biocidal silica coatings
Inhibition of adherence of coagulase-negative staphylococci to acrylic by subinhibitory concentrations of antibiotics
The influence of antiplaque agents on streptococcal biofilm grown on enamel and glass
Comparison of digital image analysis programs for confocal laser scanning microscopy data sets of biofilms
Fungal biofilms on mineral materials
The influence of subinhibitory concentrations of fluconazol and amphotericin B in the adhesion of different Candida species to acrylic
Inhibition of biofilm formation by mutants group streptococci on toothbrush bristles in vivo
Quorum sensing of biofilm-associated Erwinia persicinus
Growth with sodium dodecyl sulphate induces aggregation and biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PAO1
Microbial contamination of stationary eyewash units in laboratories
Microbial biofilms on building stone
Scanning transmission X-ray mapping of microbial biofilms and associated metals
A marine biofilm formation model in multi-well plates
Secondary metabolites in bacterial biofilms and their protective function against protozoan grazing
Analysis of Deinococcus geothermalis biofilm properties with lectin staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy
Effect of the surface roughness of cast titanium on bacterial colonization
Metabolic activity of microbial biofilm on hydroxyapatite-coated titanium surfaces
Multiple quorum sensing in hypogean biofilms
Determination of adsorption isotherms for the attachment of Deinococcus geothermalis by an enzyme-activity-based method
Biosurfactant from Streptococcus thermophilus A inhibit microbial adhesion on silicone rubber
The influence of nitrogen on the development of biofilms
Biogeography of biliary stent community biofilms
Development of a novel screening system for the characterization of biofilm growth on different carriers
Prevention of Pseudomonas fluorescens adhesion to surfaces using bacteriophage S1
ConAn, a new software developed for digital image analysis of three-dimensional biofilm data
Lectin-binding-analysis of rotating annular reactor cultivated biofilms
Adhesiveness and hydrophobicity of food spoilage yeasts
Investigation of microbial adhesion on a thickness shear mode resonator
Staphylococcus epidermis adhesion on modified urea/urethane elastomers
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lectin LecB is a cell surface protein involved in biofilm formation
Aerobic biofilms as Trojan horses for anaerobic product spoiling bacteria?
Reduced fouling tendencies of ultrafiltration membranes in waste-water treatment by plasma modification
A universal method for analysing the diversity of mycosporines and mycosporine-like amino acids in microorganisms and environmental rock inhabiting microbial communities
In vivo biofilm formation on dental hard tissues
Implant-associated osteomyelitis: analysis of the local cellular immune response
Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of interfacial microbial communities
Concepts of electrochemical treatment and useful techniques for proper implementation
Inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on vascular graft surfaces coated with elemental silver
Planktonic versus biofilm-grown Staphylococcus aureus cells – determination of different expression patterns with DNA microarrays
Diversity of the microbial community and the catabolic genes in biofilms grown on polychlorinated biphenyls droplets
A modular approach to the mathematical modelling of biofilm systems
The study of castor-oil-derived polyurethane in relation to biofilm
Metagenome survey of biofilms in drinking water networks
Transcriptome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development: anaerobic respiration and iron limitation
- M. Hentzer, L. Eberl, M. Givskov
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- 12 April 2005, pp. 37-61
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In nature, bacteria are able to form complex surface-attached communities called biofilms. Microbial biofilms pose a particular problem in many human infections because of an inherent tolerance to antimicrobial agents and host immune killing and clearance. We have used complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray technology to identify Pseudomonas aeruginosa genes that are differentially expressed in growing and developing biofilms. Our study shows that, when compared with planktonic bacteria, gene expression profiles of biofilm cells have the highest resemblance to the profiles of stationary-phase cells. We suggest that the process of biofilm development involves a series of adaptive responses including those to anaerobic and iron-limitation stresses, rather than being associated with a unique biofilm developmental program. Mapping of quorum-sensing regulated genes in a P. aeruginosa biofilm identified a set of N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-dependent genes that are exclusively expressed in sessile cells. One of these genes, pvdQ, encodes an AHL acylase that degrades long-acyl but not short-acyl AHLs. This result may provide an explanation for the previous finding that the level of long-acyl AHLs is greatly reduced in P. aeruginosa biofilm cells as compared with their planktonic counterparts. Furthermore, we present evidence that quorum sensing is participating in the control of iron-limitation responses in the biofilm cells.
Abstracts from the Biofilm Club meeting held at the School of Pharmacy, University of Manchester on 4 November 2004
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- 14 April 2005, pp. 73-78
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Microfabrication of biofilms
Modelling drain biofilms
Interaction between mycobacteria and the respiratory mucosa
Modelling the gastrointestinal tract
Modelling oral biofilms
Modelling antibiotic resistance transfer in oral biofilms
Plaque biofilms grown in vivo on natural enamel
Bacterial survival and biofilm formation on conventional and antibacterial toothbrushes
- R. L. Sammons, D. Kaur, P. Neal
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- 01 September 2004, pp. 123-130
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The aim of this study was to investigate bacterial survival and biofilm formation on toothbrushes. Fifteen healthy volunteers each used a normal toothbrush and an antibacterial toothbrush of the same design for two separate 5 week periods. Bacteria were removed from the brush head by swabbing and mechanical agitation in 10ml of tryptone soya broth, cultured aerobically on selective and non-selective media, and classified by Gram staining, catalase and oxidase tests. Survival of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was monitored in the laboratory on both types of brush over 8 days. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe biofilm formation on antibacterial and conventional brushes used for various times. Numbers of bacteria isolated from conventional and antibacterial brushes from different individuals ranged from 8.3×103 to 4.7×106 and from 1×102 to 1.2×106 colony-forming units/ml, respectively. A larger number of bacteria were isolated from conventional brushes than from antibacterial brushes used by the same individuals but no statistically significant difference was demonstrated. No differences in the relative proportions of Gram-negative and Gram-positive rods or cocci were seen. Staphylococci, presumptive coliforms and pseudomonads were isolated from 48%, 28% and 16% of brushes, respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was viable for at least 4 days on conventional, and 2–3 days on antibacterial, brushes, whilst S. epidermidis survived for 6–8 days on antibacterial and more than 8 days on conventional brushes. Biofilms formed on the heads and bristles of both conventional and antibacterial brushes. Extensive, mixed community biofilms developed after several months of use. We conclude that toothbrushes may be a reservoir of opportunistic pathogens including staphylococci and pseudomonad-like organisms and must be considered as a potential source of haematogenous infections and cross-infection.
Effect of oxygen and growth medium on in vitro biofilm formation by Escherichia coli
- L. A. Bjergbæk, J. A. J. Haagensen, A. Reisner, S. Molin, P. Roslev
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- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 January 2006, pp. 1-10
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The effects of oxygen availability on in vitro biofilm formation by an Escherichia coli K-12 strain and 13 clinical E. coli strains were compared. All E. coli strains were capable of forming monospecies biofilm on polystyrene in aerobic media. The K-12 strain produced biofilm in both aerobic glucose minimal medium (ABTG), and aerobic trypticase soy broth (TSB) whereas the majority of the clinical strains produced significant biofilm only in aerobic TSB (9 of 13). In anaerobic media, E. coli K-12 and 9 of the 13 clinical strains were capable of forming biofilm in vitro. Only three clinical strains formed biofilm in anaerobic TSB whereas six clinical strains produced detectable biofilm in anaerobic ABTG. None of the strains tested were capable of forming biofilm in both anaerobic ABTG and anaerobic TSB. Strains that were good biofilm formers in aerobic ABTG also produced the highest amount of biofilm in anaerobic ABTG (R2 = 0.90). Image analysis revealed notable differences in architecture for biofilms grown in the presence and in the absence of oxygen. In aerobic ABTG, the biofilm was dominated by tall, mushroom-shaped microcolonies with pores and channels whereas biofilm in anaerobic ABTG was thinner and less heterogeneous, resulting in reduced maximum thickness and biovolume. Analysis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles from E. coli K-12 and three clinical strains did not reveal a specific pattern associated with the biofilm phenotypes. Interestingly, the clinical E. coli strains adjusted their PLFA composition much more than did E. coli K-12 in response to changes in growth regimens. Collectively, the results indicate that oxygen availability may affect E. coli biofilm formation in minimal and complex media. The results confirm that E. coli K-12 and some clinical E. coli strains are capable of forming in vitro biofilm under anaerobic conditions. However, the data also suggest that this attribute is highly strain dependent and may vary significantly among clinical isolates.