New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Microbial Biofilms

Current Research and Future Trends in Microbial Biofilms

Mukesh Kumar Yadav, Bhim Pratap Singh

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780444642806
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Ingeniería química y bioquímica

New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering: Microbial Biofilms is divided into three sections: microbial adhesion/biofilms in medical settings, microbial adhesion/biofilms in agriculture, and microbial adhesion/biofilm in the environment and industry. Chapters cover adhesion and biofilm formation by pathogenic microbes on tissue and on indwelling medical devices, including sections on human infections, microbial communication during biofilm mode of growth, host defense and antimicrobial resistance, and more. Other sections cover the biofilms of agriculturally important and environmental friendly microbes, including biofilm formation on plants, in soil, and in aquatic environments.

Finally, the latest scientific research on microbial adhesion and biofilm formation in the environment and in industry is covered.

• Provides an overview on the growth, structure, cell-to-cell interactions, and control/dispersal of bacterial and fungal of in vitro and in vivo biofilms
• Presents an overview on the microbial adhesion, biofilm formation and structures of single-species and multi-species biofilms on human tissues/medical devices, agriculture, environment and chemical industries
• Includes chapters on microbial biofilms of pathogenic microbes on human tissues and in medical indwelling devices
• Covers factors affecting microbial biofilm, adhesion and formation

Chapter 1

Microbial biofilms and human disease: A concise review

Mukesh Kumar Yadav^a,b; Jae-Jun Song^a; Bhim Pratap Singh^c; Jorge E. Vidal^{d a} Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
^b Institute for Medical Device Clinical Trials, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
^c Department of Biotechnology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, India
^d Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States

Abstract

Bacteria exist mainly as planktonic organisms floating in suspensions or as adherent forms called biofilms. Biofilm formation is a dynamic process leading to the production of a matrix also known as an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bacterial biofilms are responsible for up to 75% of infectious diseases in humans. Diseases include bacterial otitis media, infections of wounds, infection of the lungs, urinary tract infections, and most nosocomial infections. Bacteria within biofilms are embedded in a matrix causing a slowdown in their metabolism, and at the same time conferring resistance against antibiotic killing and host defenses. Biofilm bacteria develop different physiological states, slow growth, and are up to 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic organisms. Some biofilm infections progress to a persistent infection that has a poor prognosis and increasing health care cost. Bacteria in biofilms are in such close proximity and stimulate recombination events, including those leading to acquisition of antibiotic-resistance genes. Biofilms alter the host’s immune response and sometimes sequester components of the innate immune response such as immunoglobulins, platelets, and fibrin becoming constituents of the biofilm matrix. The identification and diagnosis of biofilms from clinical samples is ambiguous in part because conventional culture-based methods or culture-independent molecular methods are unable to discriminate biofilm and planktonic bacteria. In this chapter, we discuss bacterial biofilm-related infections in humans, the mechanism of antibiotic resistance mediated by biofilms, and current technology under development to diagnose bacterial biofilm infections in clinical settings.

Keywords

Biofilms; Chronic infections; Chronic wounds; Cystic fibrosis; Otitis media; Rhinosinusitis

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program of National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Education grant (2017R1D1A1B03035306 to MKY).

1.1 Introduction

For centuries, it was considered that bacteria naturally existed only in free floating form, or as a planktonic organism. However, in the 1970s, the observation that bacteria can adhere and growth on a surface radically overturned this concept (Costerton et al., 1978). It is now widely accepted that the adherent behavior of bacteria is more predominant in nature, in clinical settings, and in industries. Biofilms represent a survival strategy against hostile environments and colonization of new niches (Fux et al., 2005). At its simplest concept, biofilms are communities of bacteria attached to biotic or abiotic surfaces and enclosed in a self-produced hydrated matrix made of protein, polysaccharides, and eDNA, known as an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) (Hall-Stoodley and Stoodley, 2005; Donlan and Costerton, 2002). Biofilms were initially observed on submerged objects, such as ships in marine settings, and termed “biofouling.” In medical settings, biofilm-related infections were first described by Høiby and Jendersen while investigating lung infections and dental pellicles. It is well accepted that biofilms were first observed by Anthony van Leuwenhoek in 1684 but he did not name the structures he was observed; the term “biofilm” was introduced by Costerton et al. in 1978 (Costerton et al., 1995). In 1993 the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recognized the impact of microbial biofilms in the microbial world. Bacteria within biofilms express different properties to their counterpart planktonic cells (Bjarnsholt et al., 2015). For example, biofilms are inherently more resistant to antibiotics and to the host immune response than planktonic bacteria (Fux et al., 2005; Foreman et al., 2011). It has been reported that biofilms can tolerate up to 1000 times more concentration of antimicrobial agents in comparison to planktonic cells from the same culture. Due to the elevated resistance to antibiotics and to the host immune response, biofilms can cause chronic or recurrent infections such as chronic otitis media (COM), chronic wound infections, cystic fibrosis (CF) in lung infections, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and several other important infectious diseases (Hall-Stoodley et al., 2012) (Fig. 1.1). Biofilms are also a serious problem in clinical settings. These structured bacterial communities cause medical device-related infections which can necessitate surgery and increasing health care-associated costs because of a prolonged stay in hospital. Bacterial biofilms incorporate host components such as immunoglobulins or platelets and fibrin into the biofilm matrix. Physical and chemical gradients of nutrients and oxygen from the surface to the bottom are one of the characteristics of bacterial biofilms resulting in slow growth. In this chapter, we discuss bacterial biofilm-related infections in humans, the mechanism of biofilm resistance, and the current technology under development to diagnose bacterial biofilm infections in clinical settings.

Fig. 1.1 Biofilm-related infections in humans.

1.2 Biofilm-related infection of humans (tissue)

Bacteria living in biofilms express different properties in comparison to their planktonic (free-living) counterparts. Biofilms are highly recalcitrant to conventional antimicrobial treatment and to the host immune response. Biofilm bacteria have been demonstrated to play a key role in various chronic infections in human tissues and indwelling medical devices, thereby representing a challenge in clinical settings (Sabir et al., 2017). The control of biofilms and treatment of biofilm-related infections is challenging in medical settings; therefore novel technology and new methods have been developed to combat microbial biofilms, as evident by the rapid increase in biofilm-related publications (Fig. 1.2). The most important tissue-related infections caused by biofilms in humans are shown in Fig. 1.1 (reviewed by Hall-Stoodley et al., 2012).

Fig. 1.2 Biofilm-related publications since 1982. Panel (A) shows the noncumulative number of publications related to biofilms by year since 1982. The number of publications containing “biofilm and human infection” searched by term “Biofilm” and in biofilm contain “Human infection”. (B) Graphical representation of the number of publications related to biofilms by subject area. Biofilm and human infection searched by term “Biofilm” and in biofilm contain “Human infection in clinical settings.” ((A) and (B) Source data: Scopus, access date: March 8, 2019.)

1.2.1 Biofilm in ch...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• Contributors
• Chapter 1: Microbial biofilms and human disease: A concise review
• Chapter 2: Microbial biofilms on medical indwelling devices
• Chapter 3: Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms and infections: Roles of extracellular molecules
• Chapter 4: Microbial biofilms: Human mucosa and intestinal microbiota
• Chapter 5: Biofilms: Development and molecular interaction of microbiome in the human oral cavity
• Chapter 6: Antistaphylococcal activity of 2(5H)-furanone derivatives
• Chapter 7: Actinobacteria as a potential natural source to produce antibiofilm compounds: An overview
• Chapter 8: Control of microbial biofilms: Application of natural and synthetic compounds
• Chapter 9: Microbial biofilms involved in the filtration of odorous gas emissions from livestock farming
• Chapter 10: Microbial biofilms: Development, structure, and their social assemblage for beneficial applications
• Chapter 11: Biofilm: A microbial assemblage on the surface—A boon or bane?
• Chapter 12: Plant and soil-associated biofilm-forming bacteria: Their role in green agriculture
• Chapter 13: Rhizobacteria and its biofilm for sustainable agriculture: A concise review
• Chapter 14: Biofilm-mediated bioremediation of pollutants from the environment for sustainable development
• Chapter 15: Microbial biofilm: An advanced eco-friendly approach for bioremediation
• Chapter 16: Agriculturally important microbial biofilms: Biodiversity, ecological significances, and biotechnological applications
• Chapter 17: Potential application of bacterial biofilm for bioremediation of toxic heavy metals and dye-contaminated environments
• Chapter 18: Microbial biofilms: Functional annotation and potential applications in agriculture and allied sectors
• Index