Osmoregulation by choline-based deep eutectic solvent induces electroactivity in Bacillus subtilis biofilms.

Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis is a model organism for the biotechnology industry and has recently been characterized as weakly electroactive in both planktonic cultures and biofilms. Increasing the extracellular electron transfer (EET) rate in B. subtilis biofilms will help to develop an efficient microbial electrochemical technology (MET) and improve the bioproduction of high-value metabolites under electrofermentative conditions.

Electrofermentation increases concentration of poly γ-glutamic acid in Bacillus subtilis biofilms.

Fluctuations in redox conditions in bioprocesses can alter the end-products, reduce their concentration, and lengthen the process time. Electrofermentation enables rapid metabolic modulation of biosynthesis and allows control of redox imbalances in biofilm-based fermentation processes. In this study, electrofermentation is used to boost the production of the bacterial biopolymer poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) from Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051.

Biochemical and electrochemical characterization of biofilms formed on everolimus-eluting coronary stents.

Drug-eluting stents (DES) are mostly used in percutaneous coronary intervention, which is the main treatment for coronary artery occlusion. This procedure aims to restore the natural lumen, while minimizing the risk of restenosis. However, stent insertion increases the risk for infections, due to contamination of the device or insertion hub with normal skin flora.

Biofilm Detection by a Fiber-Tip Ball Resonator Optical Fiber Sensor.

Bacterial biofilms are one of the most important challenges that modern medicine faces due to the difficulties of diagnosis, antibiotic resistance, and protective mechanisms against aggressive environments. For these reasons, methods that ensure the inexpensive and rapid or real-time detection of biofilm formation on medical devices are needed. This study examines the possibilities of using optical- and fiber-based biosensors to detect and analyze early bacterial biofilms.

Assessment of physiological and electrochemical effects of a repurposed zinc dithiocarbamate complex on Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an infectious agent of global proportion and concern, partly due to its proficiency in development of antibiotic resistance phenotypes and biofilm formation. Dithiocarbamates (DTC) have been identified as possible alternatives to the current antimicrobials. We report here the evaluation of several DTC-metal complexes against A.

Evaluation of extracellular electron transfer in Pseudomonas aeruginosa by co-expression of intermediate genes in NAD synthetase production pathway.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is an electrogenic bacterium, in which extracellular electron transfer (EET) is mediated by microbially-produced phenazines, especially pyocyanin. Increasing EET rate in electrogenic bacteria is key for the development of biosensors and bioelectrofermentation processes. In this work, the production of pyocyanin, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) and NAD synthetase by the electrogenic strain PA-A4 is determined using a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC).