Latest Biofilm Stories

The discovery of a fundamental, previously unknown property of microbial nanowires in the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens that allows electron transport across long distances could revolutionize nanotechnology and bioelectronics, says a team of physicists and microbiologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.Their findings reported in the Aug. 7 advance online issue of Nature Nanotechnology may one day lead to cheaper, nontoxic nanomaterials for biosensors and solid state...

Many medical devices, ranging from artificial hip joints to dentures and catheters, can come with unwelcome guests "“ complex communities of microbial pathogens called biofilms that are resistant to the human immune system and antibiotics, thus proving a serious threat to human health. However, researchers may have a new way of looking at biofilms, thanks to a study conducted by University of Iowa biologist David Soll and his colleagues published in the Aug 2 issue of the online, open...

A revolutionary biodegradable pellet which slowly releases antibiotics into the middle ear could transform the lives of thousands of children who suffer from glue ear.Scientists at The University of Nottingham have developed the tiny controlled-release antibiotic pellet which can be implanted in the middle ear during surgery to fit grommets, or small ventilation tubes. Over a period of three weeks it will release effective quantities of antibiotics to target any infection which can, in up to...

Study could help researchers develop anti-bacterial surfacesJacinta Conrad, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston, likens her research into how bacteria move to "tracking bright spots on a dark background."Using a digital camera affixed to a microscope, Conrad and her collaborators videotape hours of moving bacteria. They then analyze these tens of thousands of images to determine exactly how they cross surfaces before forming...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa targets opponents' cell walls and immunizes itself against its own weaponsWhen competing for food and resources, bacteria employ elaborate strategies to keep rival cells at bay. Scientists have now identified a pathway that allows disease-causing bacteria to attack other bacterial cells by breaking down their cell wall.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a type of bacteria readily found in everyday environments. It easily forms colonies in a wide variety of settings, including...

Bacteria use various appendages to move across surfaces prior to forming multicellular bacterial biofilms. Some species display a particularly jerky form of movement known as "twitching" motility, which is made possible by hairlike structures on their surface called type IV pili, or TFP. "TFP act like Batman's grappling hooks," said Gerard Wong, a professor of bioengineering and of chemistry and biochemistry at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied...

PITTSBURGH, June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnegie Mellon University's Kelvin B. Gregory and Philip R. LeDuc have created the world's smallest fuel cell powered by bacteria. Future versions of the biology-powered fuel cell could be used for self-powered sensing devices in remote locations where batteries are impractical, such as deep ocean or geological environments. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20020422/CMULOGO ) "We have developed a biological fuel cell which uses microbial...

MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J., June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Insmed Incorporated (Nasdaq CM: INSM), a biopharmaceutical company, today announced positive data through six treatment cycles (72 weeks total duration) of its Phase 2 clinical trial program for ARIKACE® (liposomal amikacin for inhalation) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with Pseudomonas lung infections. The data were presented at the 34th European Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Hamburg, Germany, by Predrag Minic, M.D., Professor of...

CLEVELAND, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Oasis Consumer Healthcare, makers of leading oral health products, today announced the launch of Oasis Age Essential (www.AgeEssential.com), the first over-the-counter, clinical-strength formula designed to support the changing mouth conditions of older adults, ages 50 years+. Age Essential is a daily care, alcohol-free mouthwash, specifically designed for the oral health needs of Baby Boomers and older Americans. Age Essential's patent-pending...

Wound Rinse Removes Bacteria and Biofilms Without Damaging Tissue (PRWEB) May 20, 2011 Synedgen will report recent data from its studies of a new wound rinse at a poster session May 23 at ASM 2011, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in New Orleans. The poster, Novel Antibacterial Chitosan Derivatives with Residual Activity Reduce Multi-Drug Resistant Biofilms and Remove Bacteria from Abraded Skin, highlights the antibacterial and biofilm-reducing activity of...