BIOFILM

cities for microbes

Kelompok 2 Golongan A:

Baiq Sofianti
Bella Aulia
Dewi Septia
Enda Desideria
 BIOFILM
biofilm is any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other
and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded
within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular
polymeric substances (EPS). Microorganisms that form biofilms include
bacteria, fungi, and protists.

This greenish-brown slime,

found on rocks in a streambed,
is a biofilm composed of algae.

The EPS components are produced by the cells within the biofilm and
are typically a polymeric conglomeration of extracellular DNA, proteins,
and polysaccharides.
Biofilms may form on living or non-living surfaces and can be
prevalent in natural, industrial and hospital settings.

The microbial cells growing in a biofilm are physiologically distinct

from planktonic cells of the same organism, which, by contrast, are
single-cells that may float or swim in a liquid medium.

Biofilms have been found growing

on minerals and metals. They
have been found underwater,
underground and above the
ground. They can grow on plant
tissues and animal tissues, and on
implanted medical devices such
as catheters.
Staphylococcus aureus biofilm
on an in dwelling catheter.
Biofilms can be present on
the teeth of most animals
as dental plaque, where they
may cause tooth decay and
gum disease.
Dental plaque is a buildup of
bacteria on the surface of teeth.
Microbes form a biofilm in response to many factors, which
may include cellular recognition of specific or non-specific
attachment sites on a surface, nutritional cues, or in some
cases, by exposure of planktonic cells to sub-inhibitory
concentrations of antibiotics.

When a cell switches to the biofilm mode of growth, it

undergoes a phenotypic shift in behavior in which large suites
of genes are differentially regulated.
 Biofilm formation

Biofilm formation begins when free-floating microorganisms such as bacteria

come in contact with an appropriate surface and begin to put down roots, so to
speak. This first step of attachment occurs when the microorganisms produce a
gooey substance known as an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS),
according to the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University. An
EPS is a network of sugars, proteins and nucleic acids (such as DNA). It enables
the microorganisms in a biofilm to stick together.

Multiple environmental conditions help determine the extent to which a

biofilm grows. These factors also determine whether it is made of only a few
layers of cells or significantly more. "It really depends on the biofilm,". For
instance, microorganisms that produce a large amount of EPS can grow into
fairly thick biofilms even if they do not have access to a lot of nutrients, he
said. On the other hand, for microorganisms that depend on oxygen, the
amount available can limit how much they can grow. Another environmental
factor is the concept of "shear stress." "If you have a very high flow [of water]
across a biofilm, like in a creek, the biofilm is usually fairly thin. If you have a
biofilm in slow flowing water, like in a pond, it can become very thick,"
 DEVELOPMENT

Biofilms are the product of a

microbial developmental process.
The process is summarized by five
major stages of biofilm
development

1. Initial attachment
2. Irreversible attachment Each stage of development in the diagram
3. Maturation I is paired with a photomicrograph of a
4. Maturation II developing P. aeruginosa biofilm.
5. Dispersion
 Why form a biofilm?

For microorganisms, living as a part of a biofilm comes with certain advantages.

"Communities of microbes are usually more resilient to stress,“. Potential stressors
include the lack of water, high or low pH, or the presence of substances toxic to
microorganisms such as antibiotics, antimicrobials or heavy metals.

There are many possible explanations for the hardiness of biofilms. For example,
the slimy EPS covering can act as a protective barrier. It can help prevent
dehydration or act as a shield against ultraviolet (UV) light. Also, harmful substances
such as antimicrobials, bleach or metals are either bound or neutralized when they
come into contact with the EPS. Thus, they are diluted to concentrations that aren't
lethal well before they can reach various cells deep in the biofilm,

Still, it is possible for certain antibiotics to penetrate the EPS and make their way
through a biofilm's layers. Here, another protective mechanism can come into
play: the presence of bacteria that are physiologically dormant. In order to work
well, all antibiotics require some level of cellular activity. So, if bacteria are
physiologically dormant to begin with, there is not much for an antibiotic to
disrupt.
 Why form a biofilm?

Another mode of protection against antibiotics is the presence of special

bacterial cells known as "persisters." Such bacteria do not divide and are
resistant to many antibiotics. "persisters" function by producing
substances that block the targets of the antibiotics.

In general, microorganisms living together as a biofilm benefit from the

presence of their various community members. Gerlach cited the example
of autotrophic anda heterotropic microorganism that live together in
biofilms. Autotrophs, such as photosynthetic bacteria or algae, are able to
produce their own food in the form of organic (carbon containing)
material, while heterotrophs cannot produce their own food and require
outside sources of carbon. "In these multi-organismal communities, they
often cross feed," he said.
BIOFILMS AND US
Given the vast range of environments in which we encounter biofilms, it is
no surprise that they affect many aspects of human life.

A scanning electron micrograph shows a biofilm formed by Candida

albicans on an intravascular disc prepared from catheter material.
 BIOFILMS AND US
Health and disease

As research has progressed over the years, biofilms — bacterial and fungal —
have been implicated in a variety of health conditions. In a 2002 call for grant
applications, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) noted that biofilms
accounted "for over 80 percent of microbial infections in the body."

Infections associated with the biofilm growth usually are challenging to

eradicate. It is mostly due to the fact that mature biofilms display tolerance
towards antibiotics and the immune response.

Biofilms can grow on implanted medical devices such as prosthetic heart

valves, joint prosthetics, catheters and pacemakers. This in turn leads to
infections. The phenomenon was first noted in the 1980s when bacterial
biofilms were found on intravenous catheters and pacemakers.
 BIOFILMS AND US
Health and disease

The rapidly expanding worldwide industry for biomedical devices and tissue
engineering related products is already at $180 billion per year, yet this
industry continues to suffer from microbial colonization. No matter the
sophistication, microbial infections can develop on all medical devices and
tissue engineering constructs.

"The reason that biofilm formation is a great cause of concern is that, within
a biofilm, bacteria are more resistant to antibiotics and other major
disinfectants that you could use to control them”. In fact, when compared to
free-floating bacteria, those growing as a biofilm can be up to 1,500 times
more resistant to antibiotics and other biological and chemical. Describing
biofilm resistance combined with the general increase in antibiotic resistance
among bacteria as a "double whammy" and a major challenge to treating
infections.
 BIOFILMS AND US
Food Industry

In produce, microorganisms attach to the surfaces and biofilms develop internally.

During the washing process, biofilms resist sanitization and allow bacteria to spread
across the produce. This problem is also found in ready to eat foods because the
foods go through limited cleaning procedures before consumption. Due to the
perishability of dairy products and limitations in cleaning procedures, resulting in
the buildup of bacteria, dairy is susceptible to biofilm formation and
contamination. The bacteria can spoil the products more readily and contaminated
products pose a health risk to consumers.
One bacteria that can be found in various industries and is a major cause of
foodborne disease is Salmonella. Large amounts of salmonella contamination can
be found in the poultry processing industry as about 50% of salmonella strains can
produce biofilms on poultry farms. Salmonella increases the risk of foodborne
illnesses when the poultry products are not cleaned and cooked correctly.

Along with economic problems biofilm formation on food poses a health risk to
consumers due to the ability to make the food more resistant to disinfectants. As a
result, from 1996 to 2010 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated
48 million foodborne illnesses per year.
BIOFILMS AND US
Bioremediation

Sometimes, biofilms are useful. "Bioremediation, in general, is the

use of living organisms, or their products — for example, enzymes —
to treat or degrade harmful compounds," researcher said. He noted
that biofilms are used in treating wastewater, heavy metal
contaminants such as chromate, explosives such as TNT and
radioactive substances such as uranium. "Microbes can either
degrade them, or change their mobility or their toxic state and
therefore make them less harmful to the environment and to
humans," researcher said.
 Ongoing research

Our world is teeming with biofilms. In fact, by the mid-20th century,

more bacteria were found on the inside surfaces of containers
holding bacterial cultures, than floating freely in the liquid culture
itself, according to the 2004 article in Nature Reviews Microbiology.
Understanding these complex microbial structures is an active area of
research.

“Biofilms are amazing communities. Some people have compared

them to multicellular organisms because there is a lot of interaction
between single cells.” "We are continuing to learn about them, and we
are continuing to learn about how to control them better; both for
reduced detriment, as in the field of medicine, or for increased benefit
as in bioremediation. We are not going to run out of interesting
questions in that area.“ research said.
THANK YOU