The focus of my group is on the development and antimicrobial resistance of biofilms. Specifically, we are interested in the regulation of biofilm formation, the phenotypic changes that occur during biofilm development, the emergence of colony variants with specialized functions and the regulation of antimicrobial resistance of biofilms. In addition, we are interested in biofilm dispersion.
The vast majority of the bacteria that surround us are not free-floating but prefer to band together in cooperative communities called biofilms. How do biofilms form and cooperate?
Standing on a walkway at Yellowstone National Park, I admired the hues of orange, blue and yellow in the sand of the Grand Prismatic Spring. A small sign nearby read “bacterial mats.” Visitors to Yellowstone may have noticed similar signs all over the park, but they’re often overlooked on the way to waterfalls, geysers, hot springs and more.
But these colorful structures at my feet were the reason I had come. Well, I needed a vacation – and what better place then Yellowstone? – but professional curiosity had a lot to do with the destination. I’m a microbiologist, and I had come to see the bacterial mats.
More commonly known as biofilms, these communities of tightly packed bacteria grow in close association with surfaces such as sand and soil. The term “biofilms” suggests a thin, two-dimensional substance, but these communities feature microscopic-scale tower-like structures crisscrossed with water channels, all of which is encased in a protective, self-produced slimy layer. The bacteria within communicate and demonstrate cooperative behavior reminiscent of primitive organs.
As visually stunning as I find these biofilms in nature, these bacterial communities can be detrimental to human health. Scientists like me are investigating how these bacterial biofilms form and behave so we can figure out new ways to manage and control them.