Biofilms: The Bacteria Invaders You Can't Ignore

If you've ever had a urinary tract infection, you know all about bacteria. These tiny organisms can invade your body and cause all sorts of problems. But what you may not know is that bacteria don't always travel alone - they often travel in packs called biofilms. In this blog post, we will discuss what biofilms are, how they form, and the dangers they pose to your health. We will also look at ways to prevent biofilm formation and how to protect yourself from these dangerous invaders.

What are Biofilms?

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that attach to each other and to surfaces. These communities can contain hundreds or even thousands of different types of bacteria. The bacteria secrete a sticky substance that helps them adhere to the surface and to each other. The biofilm's cells produce the EPS components, which are usually a polymeric conglomerate of extracellular polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, and DNA. This substance serves to protect the biofilm from attacks by the body's immune system. Biofilms function as biological ecosystems, allowing bacteria to form a functional community. The biofilm bacteria can share nutrients and are sheltered from harmful factors in the environment, such as desiccation, antibiotics, and a host body's immune system.

Biofilms can form on just about any type of surface, including your skin, teeth, lungs, urinary tract, and gastrointestinal tract. In most cases, biofilms are harmless - they help protect you from harmful invaders and keep your body functioning properly. However, in some cases biofilms can cause problems. For example, biofilms can cause infections in people with weakened immune systems. Biofilms can also form on medical devices, such as catheters and artificial joints, and cause infections.

Biofilms related products

Micro-organism diversities in Biofilm

• Gram-positive species of bacteria like Bacillus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus, and lactic acid bacteria including Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactococcus lactis, create biofilms, as do many types of gram-negative bacteria like Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In aquatic settings, cyanobacteria have been observed to form biofilms.
• Biofilms of nitrogen-fixing symbionts from legumes such as Rhizobium leguminosarum and Sinorhizobium meliloti develop on legume roots and other inanimate surfaces. Diatoms, one of the most common microalgae that create biofilms, may be found in both fresh and marine environments all over the world.
• Biofilms can help organisms avoid damage by providing a protective barrier. They may function to prevent dehydration or act as a shield against ultraviolet (UV) light. When biofilms come into direct contact with the EPS, they are either bound or neutralized, and thus rendered non-toxic.

Biofilms and health

Biofilms are dangerous because they are hard to kill. Once they form, they are protected by a sticky substance that makes them resistant to disinfectants and antibiotics. This means that once you have an infection caused by a biofilm, it can be difficult to get rid of. If you have a biofilm infection, it's important to see your doctor so that you can be treated with the appropriate antibiotics. You may also need to use special cleaners or disinfectants to clean surfaces in your home where the biofilm has formed.

• A study in 2003 revealed that the immunological system promotes biofilm formation in the large intestine. The appendix contains a huge number of these bacterial biofilms. Biofilms in the gastrointestinal tract, which are typically stable and non-degradable, have been linked to inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. Mucosal biofilms in stools are obesrved in IBD and Ulcerative colitis diseases.
• Biofilms are observed on the teeth as dental plaque, where they can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Dental plaque is an oral biofilm that adheres to the teeth and comprises of both bacteria and fungi (such as Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans), embedded in salivary polymers, and other microbial extracellular products. Microorganisms accumulate in the teeth and gingival tissues, producing high concentrations of bacterial metabolites that cause dental disease. Frequent consumption of fermentable dietary carbohydrate drives and sustains the shift to an acidogenic, aciduric, and cariogenic bacterial ecology leading to net mineral loss.
• Bacterial vaginosis, urinary tract infections, catheter infections, middle-ear infections, dental plaque development, gingivitis, coating contact lenses, and less common but more deadly processes such as endocarditis, cystic fibrosis infection are implicated because of biofilms.
• The complexity of P. aeruginosa cells within a biofilm is believed to make it more difficult to cure cystic fibrosis patients infected lungs. One treatment for early biofilm development in CF patients is to use DNase to structurally weaken the biofilm.
• Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia and meningitis in youngsters and the elderly, as well as sepsis in HIV-infected individuals. Genes that are activated by oxidative stress in biofilms of S. pneumoniae and induce competence are particularly expressed.

Bioelectric effect on Biofilms

Bacteria that form biofilms are far more resistant to antibiotics than non-biofilm bacteria. Bacteria in a biofilm can be up to 5,000 times more antibiotic resistant than those in a non-biofilm situation. Biofilms are more resistant to antibiotics if they have a solid extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix of biofilm is regarded as one of the most significant elements that hinder antibiotic penetration into a biofilm structure and contributes to antibiotic resistance. It has been discovered that a modest current of electricity to the liquid surrounding a biofilm, together with tiny doses of antibiotic, can reduce resistance against antibiotics to levels seen in non-biofilm bacteria. Applying a little DC current on its own might cause a biofilm to release from the surface of the object.

Uses of Biofilms

• Sewage treatment plants: Secondary treatment is the last step in sewage treatment, and it involves biofilms grown on filters extracting and digesting organic compounds. Protozoa and rotifers are responsible for removal of suspended solids (SS), including pathogens and other microorganisms, in these biofilms. Bacteria are primarily responsible for the removal of organic material (BOD) in these biofilms.
• Industrial uses: Biofilms are also essential to the development of metal dissolution in bioleaching.

Biofilm treatments and control

• Several antimicrobial peptides are also known to impact the formation of biofilm in a variety of bacterial diseases. Peptide 1018 is a biofilm-disrupting compound that has been tested against several bacteria, including P. aeruginosa, E. coli, A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, S. aureus, S. typhimurium, B. cenocepacia.
• Furthermore, lantibiotics (nisin, subtilin, epidermin, and gallidermin), a group of peptide antibiotics that inhibit biofilm development in Staphylococcus aureus, Lactococcus lactis, and Streptococcus epidermidis.
• Metallic silver, silver salts, and silver nanoparticles have been used in medical implants to fight bacteria such as E. coli, S. aureus, Klebsiella species, P. aeruginosa, S. typhimurium, and Candida albicans for antimicrobial purposes.
• Because of the leaching of the substance over time, medical device antibacterial coatings are usually only effective for a short time.
• Free fatty acids are shown to have antibiofilm activity against several pathogenic bacteria.
• Studies showed that a low dose of NO generators dispersed P. aeruginosa biofilms both in vitro and in cystic fibrosis sputum, and enhanced the effect of antibiotics on biofilm-dispersed cells.

Quorum sensing (QS)

In many Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, quorum sensing (QS) is a crucial cellular communication system. Autoinducers are the signaling molecules of the QS system. The QS system is divided into three categories based on signaling molecules; N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) based (gram-negative bacteria), autoinducing peptide (AIP) based (gram-positive bacteria), and autoinducer-2 (AI-2) based, which includes both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Following the initial attachment, cells release QS molecules, which regulate bacterial gene expression and convert planktonic existence into a sessile one. According to some research, inhibiting QS (quorum quenching; QQ) may prevent biofilms. The major advantage of killing biofilm with QQ is that it lowers the risk of multidrug resistance, making this technique ideal for treating biofilm-based illnesses.

Preventive measures against Biofilms

The best way to prevent biofilm formation is to practice good hygiene. This means washing your hands regularly, brushing your teeth twice a day, and using disinfectant cleaners on surfaces in your home. If you have a medical device, such as a catheter, it's important to follow the instructions for care and cleaning carefully. If you have an infection caused by a biofilm, it's important to see your doctor so that you can be treated with antibiotics.