Single particle tracking reveals spatial and dynamic organization of the E. coli biofilm matrix.

ABSTRACT: Biofilms are communities of surface-adherent bacteria surrounded by secreted polymers known as the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Biofilms are harmful in many industries, and thus it is of great interest to understand their mechanical properties and structure to determine ways to destabilize them. By performing single particle tracking with beads of varying surface functionalization it was found that charge interactions play a key role in mediating mobility within biofilms. With a combination of single particle tracking and microrheological concepts, it was found that Escherichia coli biofilms display height dependent charge density that evolves over time. Statistical analyses of bead trajectories and confocal microscopy showed inter-connecting micron scale channels that p

SUBMITTER: Birjiniuk A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4234077 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature