Surfaces of buildings at the archaeological site of Palenque, Mexico, are colonized by cyanobacteria that form biofilms, which in turn cause aesthetic and structural damage. The structural characterization and species composition of biofilms from the walls of one of these buildings, El Palacio, are reported. The distribution of photosynthetic microorganisms in the biofilms, their relationship w...

The penetration of two antibiotics, ampicillin and ciprofloxacin, through biofilms developed in an in vitro model system was investigated. The susceptibilities of biofilms and corresponding freely suspended bacteria to killing by the antibiotics were also measured. Biofilms of Klebsiella pneumoniae were developed on microporous membranes resting on agar nutrient medium. The susceptibilities of ...

Background: Some microorganisms can adhere to food handling surfaces forming biofilms that pose a safety challenge. This study was done to evaluate bacterial biofilm formation in milking equipments in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods: Pooled milk (n=54) and water (n=60) samples were collected from households and milk bulking groups in Lilongwe, Malawi. Swabbing (n=46) and rinsing (n=16) were done on ...

The impact of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on the different developmental stages of biofilms has been investigated using E. coli K12 as a model organism. Specifically, we investigated (i) the impact of SWNT concentration on cell growth and biofilm formation, (ii) toxic effects of SWNTs on mature biofilms, and (iii) formation of biofilm on SWNT-coated surfaces. The results show that at...

We investigated the antifungal effect of non-thermal plasma, as well as its combination with common antifungal drugs, against Candida biofilms. A direct current atmospheric pressure He/O(2) (2%) plasma microjet (PMJ) was used to treat Candida biofilms in a 96-well plate. Inactivation efficacies of the biofilms were evaluated by XTT assay and counting colony forming units (CFUs). Morphological p...

Bacterial biofilms are communities of microorganisms residing within a polysaccharide matrix. Dental plaque, slimy coating in tanks, and algal mats on bodies of water are examples of biofilms. It is well accepted that biofilms play important role in bacterial persistence and antibiotic resistance in chronic infections. It is acknowledged that the majority of microbial cells on earth are living ...

The development of biofilms in drinking water (DW) systems may cause various problems to water quality. To investigate the community structure of biofilms on different pipe materials and the global/specific metabolic functions of DW biofilms, PCR-based 454 pyrosequencing data for 16S rRNA genes and Illumina metagenomic data were generated and analysed. Considerable differences in bacterial dive...

Unsaturated biofilms of Pseudomonas putida, i.e., biofilms grown in humid air, were analyzed by atomic force microscopy to determine surface morphology, roughness, and adhesion forces in the outer and basal cell layers of fresh and desiccated biofilms. Desiccated biofilms were equilibrated with a 75.5% relative humidity atmosphere, which is far below the relative humidity of 98 to 99% at which ...

It is microbial cells attached to surfaces in moist environments that form biofilms. Biofouling implies their accumulation on both living and nonliving surfaces. Biofilm-associated cells are known to cost nations billions of US Dollars every year in equipment and machine maintenance, product contamination, medical device-related infections and energy loss; with attendant adverse effects on drin...