ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5827-8441
Current Organisation
University of Technology Sydney
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Microbiology | Microbial Ecology | Microbial Genetics | Infectious Agents | Proteomics and Intermolecular Interactions (excl. Medical Proteomics) | Genomics | Biochemistry and Cell Biology | Microbiology Not Elsewhere Classified | Bacteriology | Infectious Agents | Marine And Estuarine Ecology (Incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Microbial Ecology | Systems Biology | Microbiology not elsewhere classified | Bacteriology
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences | Biological sciences | Control of Animal Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species in Coastal and Estuarine Environments | Infectious Diseases |
Related Links
Publications
Characterization of the archaeal community fouling a membrane bioreactor
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JES.2014.07.025
Abstract: Biofilm formation, one of the primary causes of biofouling, results in reduced membrane flux or increased transmembrane pressure and thus represents a major impediment to the wider implementation of membrane bioreactor (MBR) technologies for water purification. Most studies have focused on the role of bacteria in membrane fouling as they are the most dominant and best studied organisms present in the MBR. In contrast, there is limited information on the role of the archaeal community in biofilm formation in MBRs. This study investigated the composition of the archaeal community during the process of biofouling in an MBR. The archaeal community was observed to have lower richness and ersity in the biofilm than the sludge during the establishment of biofilms at low transmembrane pressure (TMP). Clustering of the communities based on the Bray-Curtis similarity matrix indicated that a subset of the sludge archaeal community formed the initial biofilms. The archaeal community in the biofilm was mainly composed of Thermoprotei, Thermoplasmata, Thermococci, Methanopyri, Methanomicrobia and Halobacteria. Among them, the Thermoprotei and Thermoplasmata were present at higher relative proportions in the biofilms than they were in the sludge. Additionally, the Thermoprotei, Thermoplasmata and Thermococci were the dominant organisms detected in the initial biofilms at low TMP, while as the TMP increased, the Methanopyri, Methanomicrobia, Aciduliprofundum and Halobacteria were present at higher abundances in the biofilms at high TMP.
Gravity-driven membrane filtration as pretreatment for seawater reverse osmosis: Linking biofouling layer morphology with flux stabilization
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2014.12.001
Abstract: In this study gravity-driven membrane (GDM) ultrafiltration is investigated for the pretreatment of seawater before reverse osmosis (RO). The impacts of temperature (21 ± 1 and 29 ± 1 °C) and hydrostatic pressure (40 and 100 mbar) on dynamic flux development and biofouling layer structure were studied. The data suggested pore constriction fouling was predominant at the early stage of filtration, during which the hydrostatic pressure and temperature had negligible effects on permeate flux. With extended filtration time, cake layer fouling played a major role, during which higher hydrostatic pressure and temperature improved permeate flux. The permeate flux stabilized in a range of 3.6 L/m(2) h (21 ± 1 °C, 40 mbar) to 7.3 L/m(2) h (29 ± 1 °C, 100 mbar) after slight fluctuations and remained constant for the duration of the experiments (almost 3 months). An increase in biofouling layer thickness and a variable biofouling layer structure were observed over time by optical coherence tomography and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The presence of eukaryotic organisms in the biofouling layer was observed by light microscopy and the microbial community structure of the biofouling layer was analyzed by sequences of 16S rRNA genes. The magnitude of permeate flux was associated with the combined effect of the biofouling layer thickness and structure. Changes in the biofouling layer structure were attributed to (1) the movement and predation behaviour of the eukaryotic organisms which increased the heterogeneous nature of the biofouling layer (2) the bacterial debris generated by eukaryotic predation activity which reduced porosity (3) significant shifts of the dominant bacterial species over time that may have influenced the biofouling layer structure. As expected, most of the particles and colloids in the feed seawater were removed by the GDM process, which led to a lower RO fouling potential. However, the dissolved organic carbon in the permeate was not be reduced, possibly because some microbial species (e.g. algae) could convert CO2 into organic substances. To further improve the removal efficiency of the organic carbon, combining carrier biofilm processes with a submerged GDM filtration system is proposed.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Preferentially Grows as Aggregates in Liquid Batch Cultures and Disperses upon Starvation
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 13-05-2009
Pseudomonas aeruginosaisolates co-incubated withAcanthamoeba castellaniiexhibit phenotypes similar to chronic cystic fibrosis isolates
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 25-02-2020
DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.25.964320
Abstract: The opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , is ubiquitous in the environment, and in humans is capable of causing acute and chronic infections. P. aeruginosa , when co-incubated with the bacterivorous amoeba, Acanthamoeba castellanii , for extended periods, produced genetic and phenotypic variants. Sequencing of late-stage amoeba-adapted P. aeruginosa isolates demonstrated single nucleotide polymorphisms within genes that encode known virulence factors, and this correlated with a reduction in expression of virulence traits. Virulence towards the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans , was attenuated in late-stage amoeba-adapted P. aeruginosa compared to early stage amoeba-adapted and non-adapted counterparts. Late-stage amoeba-adapted P. aeruginosa lost competitive fitness compared to non-adapted counterparts when grown in nutrient rich media. However, non-adapted P. aeruginosa were rapidly cleared by amoeba predation, whereas late-stage amoeba-adapted isolates remained in higher numbers 24 h after ingestion by amoeba. In addition, there was reduced uptake by macrophage of amoeba-adapted isolates and reduced uptake by human neutrophils as well as increased survival in the presence of neutrophils. Our findings indicate that the selection imposed by amoeba on P. aeruginosa resulted in reduced virulence over time. Importantly, the genetic and phenotypic traits possessed by late-stage amoeba-adapted P. aeruginosa are similar to what is observed for isolates obtained from chronic cystic fibrosis infections. This notable overlap in adaptation to different host types suggests similar selection pressures among host cell types. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes both acute infections in plants and animals, including humans and also causes chronic infections in immune compromised and cystic fibrosis patients. This bacterium is commonly found in soils and water where bacteria are constantly under threat of being consumed by the bacterial predators, protozoa. To escape being killed, bacteria have evolved a suite of mechanisms that protect them from being consumed or digested. Here we examined the effect of long-term predation on the genotype and phenotypes expressed by P. aeruginosa. We show that long-term co-incubation with protozoa resulted in mutations in the bacteria that made them less pathogenic. This is particularly interesting as we see similar mutations arise in bacteria associated with chronic infections. Thus, predation by protozoa and long term colonization of the human host may represent similar environments that select for similar losses in gene functions.
Should we stay or should we go: mechanisms and ecological consequences for biofilm dispersal
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-11-2011
DOI: 10.1038/NRMICRO2695
Abstract: In most environments, bacteria reside primarily in biofilms, which are social consortia of cells that are embedded in an extracellular matrix and undergo developmental programmes resulting in a predictable biofilm 'life cycle'. Recent research on many different bacterial species has now shown that the final stage in this life cycle includes the production and release of differentiated dispersal cells. The formation of these cells and their eventual dispersal is initiated through erse and remarkably sophisticated mechanisms, suggesting that there are strong evolutionary pressures for dispersal from an otherwise largely sessile biofilm. The evolutionary aspect of biofilm dispersal is now being explored through the integration of molecular microbiology with eukaryotic ecological and evolutionary theory, which provides a broad conceptual framework for the ersity of specific mechanisms underlying biofilm dispersal. Here, we review recent progress in this emerging field and suggest that the merging of detailed molecular mechanisms with ecological theory will significantly advance our understanding of biofilm biology and ecology.
Quorum sensing-regulated chitin metabolism provides grazing resistance to Vibrio cholerae biofilms
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-01-2015
Vibrio cholerae residing in food vacuoles expelled by protozoa are more infectious in vivo
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-09-2019
Dynamic modelling of cell death during biofilm development
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JTBI.2011.10.007
Abstract: Biofilms are currently recognised as the predominant bacterial life-style and it has been suggested that biofilm development is influenced by a number of different processes such as adhesion, detachment, mass transport, quorum sensing, cell death and active dispersal. One of the least understood processes and its effects on biofilm development is cell death. However, experimental studies suggest that bacterial death is an important process during biofilm development and many studies show a relationship between cell death and dispersal in microbial biofilms. We present a model of the process of cell death during biofilm development, with a particular focus on the spatial localisation of cell death or cell damage. Three rules governing cell death or cell damage were evaluated which compared the effects of starvation, damage accumulation, and viability during biofilm development and were also used to design laboratory based experiments to test the model. Results from model simulations show that actively growing biofilms develop steep nutrient gradients within the interior of the biofilm that affect neighbouring microcolonies resulting in cell death and detachment. Two of the rules indicated that high substrate concentrations lead to accelerated cell death, in contrast to the third rule, based on the accumulation of damage, which predicted earlier cell death for biofilms grown with low substrate concentrations. Comparison of the modelling results with experimental results suggests that cell death is favoured under low nutrient conditions and that the accumulation of damage may be the main cause of cell death during biofilm development.
Draft Genome Sequence of Shewanella sp. Strain CP20
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 30-04-2015
Abstract: Shewanella sp. CP20 is a marine bacterium that survives ingestion by Tetrahymena pyriformis and is expelled from the protozoan within membrane-bound vacuoles, where the bacterial cells show long-term survival. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Shewanella sp. CP20 and discuss the potential mechanisms facilitating intraprotozoan survival.
Dynamics of biofilm formation under different nutrient levels and the effect on biofouling of a reverse osmosis membrane system
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2013.772141
Abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 wild type and a mucoid derivative (FRD1) which over produces alginate were used to foul reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. When operated at a constant flux, biofilm formation on the RO membrane resulted in a slow rise in transmembrane pressure (TMP) of 22% for the initial four days of operation, followed by a sharp increase of 159% over the following two days. The initial slow increase in TMP was probably due to the formation of a biofilm on the membrane surface, which then accelerated the rate of biofouling through the effect of concentration polarization. At later stages of operation, most of the bacterial biomass consisted of dead cells. The amount of extracellular polymeric substances appeared to correlate positively with the number of dead cells. The results indicate that prolonging the initial stage of slow TMP increase and avoiding the latter stage of accelerated TMP increase would provide a sustainable operation of the RO system. These results suggest that nutrient limitation could reduce biofilm accumulation and delay the increase in TMP.
Adaptation to an Amoeba Host Leads to Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolates with Attenuated Virulence
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 08-03-2022
DOI: 10.1128/AEM.02322-21
Abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes both acute infections in plants and animals, including humans, and chronic infections in immunocompromised and cystic fibrosis patients. This bacterium is commonly found in soils and water, where bacteria are constantly under threat of being consumed by bacterial predators, e.g., protozoa.
Sex, Scavengers, and Chaperones: Transcriptome Secrets of DivergentSymbiodiniumThermal Tolerances
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-06-2016
Analysis of microbial community composition in a lab‐scale membrane distillation bioreactor
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 15-02-2015
DOI: 10.1111/JAM.12759
Defences against oxidative stress during starvation in bacteria
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 2002
Abstract: It now seems clear that starvation adaptation is important for cells to initiate long-term survival under conditions of not only nutrient depletion but to develop resistance to other stresses, most notably oxidative stress. Clearly, oxidative stress is a condition likely to be perceived by many bacteria, for ex le, in the form of reactive oxygen species derived from metabolic processes or from near-UV exposure. We have found evidence for a large degree of overlap in the cell's use of global regulators to deal with both starvation and oxidative stress. Both SpoT and AI-2 signalling pathways are important regulators of starvation and stress adaptation as well as the alternative sigma factor, RpoE. We also present evidence that suggests that AI-2 signalling can mediate starvation adaptation at the molecular level by increasing the stability of the mRNAs so that cells are prepared for rapid response to nutrient addition. Moreover, such extracellular signals mediate intraspecies communication to enable enhanced survival and stress resistance of neighbouring bacterial cells. It is likely that bacteria rely on a suite of effects between cells and on transcription, translation and post-translationalprocesses, mediated by global regulators and signalling molecules, to meet their needs for growth and survival.
Vibrio cholerae Strains Possess Multiple Strategies for Abiotic and Biotic Surface Colonization
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 15-07-2007
DOI: 10.1128/JB.01867-06
Abstract: Despite its notoriety as a human pathogen, Vibrio cholerae is an aquatic microbe suited to live in freshwater, estuarine, and marine environments where biofilm formation may provide a selective advantage. Here we report characterization of biofilms formed on abiotic and biotic surfaces by two non-O1/O139 V. cholerae strains, TP and SIO, and by the O1 V. cholerae strain N16961 in addition to the isolation of 44 transposon mutants of SIO and TP impaired in biofilm formation. During the course of characterizing the mutants, 30 loci which have not previously been associated with V. cholerae biofilms were identified. These loci code for proteins which perform a wide variety of functions, including amino acid metabolism, ion transport, and gene regulation. Also, when the plankton colonization abilities of strains N16961, SIO, and TP were examined, each strain showed increased colonization of dead plankton compared with colonization of live plankton (the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum and the copepod Tigriopus californicus ). Surprisingly, most of the biofilm mutants were not impaired in plankton colonization. Only mutants impaired in motility or chemotaxis showed reduced colonization. These results indicate the presence of both conserved and variable genes which influence the surface colonization properties of different V. cholerae subspecies.
Signal-mediated cross-talk regulates stress adaptation in Vibrio species
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 07-2003
Abstract: Quorum sensing systems serve as a means of ‘census taking’ of conspecific and non-conspecific bacteria in the near vicinity. The acylated homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum sensing system has been proposed to be primarily an intra-specific communication system, while the AI-2 autoinducer signalling system is proposed to be an interspecific communication system. Here it is shown that AI-2-like signalling in two marine Vibrio species, Vibrio vulnificus and ‘ Vibrio angustum ’ S14, induces the core response phenotypes of starvation adaptation and stress resistance, and that a signal antagonist can competitively inhibit these phenotypes. Furthermore, the signals produced by a range of Vibrio species have the ability to induce these phenotypes in V. vulnificus and ‘ V. angustum ’ S14, indicating that, at least in Vibrio species, AI-2-like signalling systems function as interspecies communication systems capable of ‘cross-talk’ and of regulating environmentally relevant phenotypes.
Environmental reservoirs and mechanisms of persistence of Vibrio cholerae
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 2013
Bacterial quorum sensing and interference by naturally occurring biomimics
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-09-2006
DOI: 10.1007/S00216-006-0761-2
Abstract: Bacteria are able to coordinate gene expression as a community through the secretion and detection of signalling molecules so that the members of the community can simultaneously express specific behaviours. This mechanism of regulation of behaviour appears to be a key trait for adaptation to specific environments and has been shown to regulate a variety of important phenotypes, from virulence factor production to biofilm formation to symbiosis related behaviours such as bioluminescence. The ability to communicate and communally regulate gene expression is hypothesised to have evolved as a way for organisms to delay expression of phenotypes until numerical supremacy is reached. For ex le, in the case of infection, if an invading microorganism were to express virulence factors too early, the host may be able to mount a successful defence and repel the invaders. There is growing evidence that bacterial quorum sensing (QS) systems are involved in cross-kingdom signalling with eukaryotic organisms and that eukaryotes are capable of actively responding to bacteria in their environment by detecting and acting upon the presence of these signalling molecules. Likewise, eukaryotes produce compounds that can interfere with QS systems in bacteria by acting as agonists or antagonists. An exciting new field of study, biomimetics, takes inspiration from nature's models and attempts to design solutions to human problems, and biomimics of QS systems may be one such solution. This article presents the acylated homoserine lactone and autoinducer 2 QS systems in bacteria, the means of intercepting or interfering with bacterial QS systems evolved by eukaryotes, and the rational design of synthetic antagonists.
Species-specific patterns in the vulnerability of carbon-starved bacteria to protist grazing
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 04-08-2011
DOI: 10.3354/AME01518
‘Big things in small packages: the genetics of filamentous phage and effects on fitness of their host’
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-02-2015
Abstract: This review synthesizes recent and past observations on filamentous phages and describes how these phages contribute to host phentoypes. For ex le, the CTXφ phage of Vibrio cholerae encodes the cholera toxin genes, responsible for causing the epidemic disease, cholera. The CTXφ phage can transduce non-toxigenic strains, converting them into toxigenic strains, contributing to the emergence of new pathogenic strains. Other effects of filamentous phage include horizontal gene transfer, biofilm development, motility, metal resistance and the formation of host morphotypic variants, important for the biofilm stress resistance. These phages infect a wide range of Gram-negative bacteria, including deep-sea, pressure-adapted bacteria. Many filamentous phages integrate into the host genome as prophage. In some cases, filamentous phages encode their own integrase genes to facilitate this process, while others rely on host-encoded genes. These differences are mediated by different sets of 'core' and 'accessory' genes, with the latter group accounting for some of the mechanisms that alter the host behaviours in unique ways. It is increasingly clear that despite their relatively small genomes, these phages exert signficant influence on their hosts and ultimately alter the fitness and other behaviours of their hosts.
Onset of Microbial Influenced Corrosion (MIC) in Stainless Steel Exposed to Mixed Species Biofilms from Equatorial Seawater
Publisher: The Electrochemical Society
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1149/2.0521709JES
Relative Contributions of Vibrio Polysaccharide and Quorum Sensing to the Resistance of Vibrio cholerae to Predation by Heterotrophic Protists
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 18-02-2013
A comparative study on nitric oxide and hypochlorite as a membrane cleaning agent to minimise biofilm growth in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) process
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
The application of nitric oxide to control biofouling of membrane bioreactors
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-03-2015
Biofilm formation and phenotypic variation enhance predation-driven persistence of Vibrio cholerae
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 02-11-2005
Abstract: Persistence of the opportunistic bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae in aquatic environments is the principal cause for seasonal occurrence of cholera epidemics. This causality has been explained by postulating that V. cholerae forms biofilms in association with animate and inanimate surfaces. Alternatively, it has been proposed that bacterial pathogens are an integral part of the natural microbial food web and thus their survival is constrained by protozoan predation. Here, we report that both explanations are interrelated. Our data show that biofilms are the protective agent enabling V. cholerae to survive protozoan grazing while their planktonic counterparts are eliminated. Grazing on planktonic V. cholerae was found to select for the biofilm-enhancing rugose phase variant, which is adapted to the surface-associated niche by the production of exopolymers. Interestingly, grazing resistance in V. cholerae biofilms was not attained by exopolymer production alone but was accomplished by the secretion of an antiprotozoal factor that inhibits protozoan feeding activity. We identified that the cell density-dependent regulator hapR controls the production of this factor in biofilms. The inhibitory effect of V. cholerae biofilms was found to be widespread among toxigenic and nontoxigenic isolates. Our results provide a mechanistic explanation for the adaptive advantage of surface-associated growth in the environmental persistence of V. cholerae and suggest an important contribution of protozoan predation in the selective enrichment of biofilm-forming strains in the out-of-host environment.
Environmental cues and genes involved in establishment of the superinfective Pf4 phage of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 02-12-2014
The genomic basis of trophic strategy in marine bacteria
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 15-09-2009
Abstract: Many marine bacteria have evolved to grow optimally at either high (copiotrophic) or low (oligotrophic) nutrient concentrations, enabling different species to colonize distinct trophic habitats in the oceans. Here, we compare the genome sequences of two bacteria, Photobacterium angustum S14 and Sphingopyxis alaskensis RB2256, that serve as useful model organisms for copiotrophic and oligotrophic modes of life and specifically relate the genomic features to trophic strategy for these organisms and define their molecular mechanisms of adaptation. We developed a model for predicting trophic lifestyle from genome sequence data and tested ,000 proteins representing million nucleotides of sequence data from 126 genome sequences with metagenome data of whole environmental s les. When applied to available oceanic metagenome data (e.g., the Global Ocean Survey data) the model demonstrated that oligotrophs, and not the more readily isolatable copiotrophs, dominate the ocean's free-living microbial populations. Using our model, it is now possible to define the types of bacteria that specific ocean niches are capable of sustaining.
The biofilm life cycle and virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are dependent on a filamentous prophage
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 13-11-2008
SmcR-Dependent Regulation of Adaptive Phenotypes in Vibrio vulnificus
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 15-01-2001
DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.2.758-762.2001
Abstract: Vibrio vulnificus contains homologues of the V. harveyi luxR and luxS genes. A null mutation in smcR ( luxR ) resulted in a defect in starvation survival, inhibition of starvation-induced maintenance of culturability that occurs when V. vulnificus is starved prior to low-temperature incubation, and increased expression of stationary-phase phenotypes.
Global analysis of physiological responses in marine bacteria
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 1997
Abstract: In this paper, we present results from studies on marine Vibrio species, in which complex adaptive responses have been investigated. The results of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis serve to illustrate the usefulness of a global approach, and how it can be combined with other methodologies in order to achieve an improved understanding of the means by which bacteria adapt to alterations in environmental conditions. The overall strategies described in this paper are particularly useful for studies of bacteria for which efficient genetic tools, background genotypes and in depth physiological data are not yet available.
Micro-fabricated polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) surfaces regulate the development of marine microbial biofilm communities
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-02-2014
DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2013.872778
Abstract: This study explored an antifouling (AF) concept based on deployment of microfabricated polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) surfaces with 1-10 μm periodicity corrugated topographies in temperate marine waters. The effect of the surfaces on the development of microbial biofilms over 28 days and during different seasons, including both summer and winter, was examined using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) as well as terminal restriction fragment (T-RF) analysis for phylogenetic fingerprinting. The microscale topography significantly impacted biofilm development by altering the attachment pattern and reducing microcolony formation on the 1, 2 and 4 μm PDMS surfaces. Also, field deployments over 28 days showed a significant reduction in biovolume on the 4 and 10 μm PDMS surfaces despite altered environmental conditions. The microfabricated PDMS surfaces further significantly impacted on the community composition of the biofilms, as revealed by changes in T-RF profiles, at different stages of development. Moreover, altered biofilm resistance was demonstrated by exposing pre-established biofilms on 10 μm micro-fabricated surfaces to enhanced flagellate predation by a heterotrophic protist, Rhynchomonas nasuta. Pronounced changes in the overall marine microbial biofilm development as well as community composition warrant exploring substratum modification for marine AF applications.
Glucose Starvation-Induced Dispersal of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms Is cAMP and Energy Dependent
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-08-2012
The correlation between biofilm biopolymer composition and membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 21-10-2014
DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2014.971238
Abstract: Biofouling, the combined effect of microorganism and biopolymer accumulation, significantly reduces the process efficiency of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Here, four biofilm components, alpha-polysaccharides, beta-polysaccharides, proteins and microorganisms, were quantified in MBRs. The biomass of each component was positively correlated with the transmembrane pressure increase in MBRs. Proteins were the most abundant biopolymer in biofilms and showed the fastest rate of increase. The spatial distribution and co-localization analysis of the biofouling components indicated at least 60% of the extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) components were associated with the microbial cells when the transmembrane pressure (TMP) entered the jump phase, suggesting that the EPS components were either secreted by the biofilm cells or that the deposition of these components facilitated biofilm formation. It is suggested that biofilm formation and the accumulation of EPS are intrinsically coupled, resulting in biofouling and loss of system performance. Therefore, strategies that control biofilm formation on membranes may result in a significant improvement of MBR performance.
The role of quorum sensing and the effect of environmental conditions on biofilm formation by strains ofVibrio vulnificus
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2006
Optimal dosing regimen of nitric oxide donor compounds for the reduction ofPseudomonas aeruginosabiofilm and isolates from wastewater membranes
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-01-2013
DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2012.760069
Abstract: Membrane fouling by bacterial biofilms remains a key challenge for membrane-based water purification systems. Here, the optimal biofilm dispersal potential of three nitric oxide (NO) donor compounds, viz. sodium nitroprusside, 6-(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-nitrosohydrazino)-N-methyl-1-hexanamine (MAHMA NONOate) and 1-(hydroxy-NNO-azoxy)-L-proline, disodium salt, was investigated using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 as a model organism. Dispersal was quantitatively assessed by confocal microscopy [bacterial cells and the components of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) (polysaccharides and extracellular DNA)] and colony-forming unit counts. The three NO donor compounds had different optimal exposure times and concentrations, with MAHMA NONOate being the optimal NO donor compound. Biofilm dispersal correlated with a reduction in both bacterial cells and EPS. MAHMA NONOate also reduced single species biofilms formed by bacteria isolated from industrial membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis membranes, as well as in isolates combined to generate mixed species biofilms. The data present strong evidence for the application of these NO donor compounds for prevention of biofouling in an industrial setting.
In situ grazing resistance of Vibrio cholerae in the marine environment
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1574-6941.2011.01067.X
Abstract: Previous laboratory experiments revealed that Vibrio cholerae A1552 biofilms secrete an antiprotozoal factor that prevents Rhynchomonas nasuta from growing and thus prevents grazing losses. The antiprotozoal factor is regulated by the quorum-sensing response regulator, HapR. Here, we investigate whether the antiprotozoal activity is ecologically relevant. Experiments were conducted in the field as well as under field-like conditions in the laboratory to assess the grazing resistance of V. cholerae A1552 and N16961 (natural frameshift mutation in hapR) biofilms to R. nasuta and Cafeteria roenbergensis. In laboratory experiments exposing the predators to V. cholerae grown in seawater containing high and low glucose concentrations, we determined that V. cholerae biofilms showed increased resistance towards grazing by both predators as glucose levels decreased. The relative resistance of the V. cholerae strains to the grazers under semi-field conditions was similar to that observed in situ. Therefore, the antipredator defense is environmentally relevant and not lost when biofilms are grown in an open system in the marine environment. The hapR mutant still exhibited some resistance to both predators and this suggests that V. cholerae may coordinate antipredator defenses by a combination of density-dependent regulation and environmental sensing to protect itself from predators in its natural habitat.
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