Guanabenz acetate, an antihypertensive drug repurposed as an inhibitor of biofilm.

Unlabelled: Biofilms formed by are composed of amyloid curli and cellulose and have been shown to be linked to pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance, and chronic infections. Guanabenz acetate (GABE), an antihypertensive drug, was identified as a potential strategic repurposing drug due to its biofilm inhibitory properties following an extensive antimicrobial screening assay of 2,202 Food and Drug Administration-approved non-antibiotic agents. The results of this study provide insights into the effectiveness of GABE as a therapeutic alternative against biofilm-associated infectious diseases.

Method to Study the Survival Abilities of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens Under Food Processing Conditions.

Properly using controllable atmospheric containers can facilitate investigations of the survival abilities and physiological states of key and emerging-foodborne pathogens under recreated applicable food processing environmental conditions. Notably, saturated salt solutions can efficiently control relative humidity in airtight containers. This chapter describes a practical experimental setup, with necessary prerequisites for exposing foodborne pathogens to simulated and relevant food processing environmental conditions.

The effect of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on physicochemical properties of starch from fermented proso millet flour.

A waxy and a non-waxy proso millet flour were each fermented by Lactobacillus amylovorus, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Lactobacillus plantarum. The samples were fermented for one to five days, and starch was isolated from the fermented flours. The pH of fermented proso millet flour ranged from 3.

Death at the interface: Nanotechnology's challenging frontier against microbial surface colonization.

The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial strains has led to novel approaches for combating bacterial infections and surface contamination. More specifically, efforts in combining nanotechnology and biomimetics have led to the development of next-generation antimicrobial/antifouling nanomaterials. While nature-inspired nanoscale topographies are known for minimizing bacterial attachment through surface energy and physicochemical features, few studies have investigated the combined inhibitory effects of such features in combination with chemical alterations of these surfaces.

Elucidating the Role of Biofilm-Forming Microbial Communities in Fermentative Biohydrogen Process: An Overview.

Amongst the biofuels described in the literature, biohydrogen has gained heightened attention over the past decade due to its remarkable properties. Biohydrogen is a renewable form of H that can be produced under ambient conditions and at a low cost from biomass residues. Innovative approaches are continuously being applied to overcome the low process yields and pave the way for its scalability.

Cross-regional scale pollution of freshwater biofilms unveiled by antibiotic resistance genes.

A comprehensive global profile of the distribution of ARGs in freshwater biofilms is lacking. We utilized metagenomic approaches to reveal the diversity, abundance, transferability and hosts of ARGs in 96 freshwater biofilm samples from 38 sampling sites across four countries. The abundant ARGs were associated with bacitracin, multidrug, polymyxin macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin (MLS) aminoglycoside, β-lactam, chloramphenicol, sulfonamide and tetracycline resistance, consistent with the spectrum of antibiotics commonly used in human or veterinary medicine.

Exploring the optimization of aerobic food waste digestion efficiency through the engineering of functional biofilm Bio-carriers.

The possibility of breaking down cellulose-rich food waste through biofilm engineering was investigated. Six previously isolated strains from naturally degrading fruits and vegetables, screened for biofilm-forming ability and cellulolytic activity, were selected to enrich a biocarrier seeding microbial consortium. The food waste model used in this study was cabbage which was aerobically digested under repeated water rinsing and regular effluent drainage.

Questioning the source of identified non-foodborne pathogens from food-contact wooden surfaces used in Hong Kong's urban wet markets.

In this study, a phylogenic analysis was performed on pathogens previously identified in Hong Kong wet markets' cutting boards. Phylogenetic comparisons were made between phylotypes obtained in this study and environmental and clinical phylotypes for establishing the possible origin of selected bacterial species isolated from wet market cutting board ecosystems. The results reveal a strong relationship between wet market bacterial assemblages and environmental and clinically relevant phylotypes.

Active Microbiome Structure and Functional Analyses of Freshwater Benthic Biofilm Samples Influenced by RNA Extraction Methods.

Advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies have enabled extensive studies of freshwater biofilms and significant breakthroughs in biofilm meta-omics. To date, however, no standardized protocols have been developed for the effective isolation of RNA from freshwater benthic biofilms. In this study, we compared column-based kit RNA extraction with five RNAzol-based extractions, differentiated by various protocol modifications.

Biomimetic Polymer Surfaces by High Resolution Molding of the Wings of Different Cicadas.

Recent studies have shown that insect wings have evolved to have micro- and nanoscale structures on the wing surface, and biomimetic research aims to transfer such structures to application-specific materials. Herein, we describe a simple and cost-effective method of replica molding the wing topographies of four cicada species using UV-curable polymers. Different polymer blends of polyethylene glycol diacrylate and polypropylene glycol diacrylate were used as molding materials and a molding chamber was designed to precisely control the x, y, and z dimensions.

Ecotoxicological effects of erythromycin on a multispecies biofilm model, revealed by metagenomic and metabolomic approaches.

The presence of antibiotics such as erythromycin, even in trace amounts, has long been acknowledged for negatively impacting ecosystems in freshwater environments. Although many studies have focused on the impact of antibiotic pollution at a macroecological level, the impact of erythromycin on microecosystems, such as freshwater biofilms, is still not fully understood. This knowledge gap may be attributed to the lack of robust multispecies biofilm models for fundamental investigations.

The Potential of Single-Cell Oils Derived From Filamentous Fungi as Alternative Feedstock Sources for Biodiesel Production.

Microbial lipids, also known as single-cell oils (SCOs), are highly attractive feedstocks for biodiesel production due to their fast production rates, minimal labor requirements, independence from seasonal and climatic changes, and ease of scale-up for industrial processing. Among the SCO producers, the less explored filamentous fungi (molds) exhibit desirable features such as a repertoire of hydrolyzing enzymes and a unique pellet morphology that facilitates downstream harvesting. Although several oleaginous filamentous fungi have been identified and explored for SCO production, high production costs and technical difficulties still make the process less attractive compared to conventional lipid sources for biodiesel production.

Clinical Nurse Educator Mentorship: Implementation at an Oncology Program in Rwanda.

A long-term partnership among the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) in Rwanda, Partners in Health (PIH)/Inshuti Mu Buzima, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) supports the development of oncology nurses through a clinical nurse educator role. Two senior Rwandan oncology nurses at BCCOE were hired as nurse educators and were mentored by a PIH/DFCI oncology nurse educator using the accompaniment approach. The formalized mentorship process included long-term accompaniment for all educator projects spanning staff training, quality improvement, research, and clinical practice, as well as development of nurse educator competencies and creation of a repository of resources.

Impacts of Wet Market Modernization Levels and Hygiene Practices on the Microbiome and Microbial Safety of Wooden Cutting Boards in Hong Kong.

Accessing food through wet markets is a common global daily occurrence, where fresh meat can be purchased to support an urbanizing world population. Similar to the wet markets in many other metropolitan cities in Asia, Hong Kong wet markets vary and are characterized by differing hygiene routines and access to essential modern technologies. The lack of risk assessments of food contact surfaces in these markets has led to substantial gaps in food safety knowledge and information that could help improve and maintain public health.

Effects of sodium citrate on the structure and microbial community composition of an early-stage multispecies biofilm model.

In recent years, most biofilm studies have focused on fundamental investigations using multispecies biofilm models developed preferentially in simulated naturally occurring low-nutrient medium than in artificial nutrient-rich medium. Because biofilm development under low-nutrient growth media is slow, natural media are often supplemented with an additional carbon source to increase the rate of biofilm formation. However, there are knowledge gaps in interpreting the effects of such supplementation on the resulting biofilm in terms of structure and microbial community composition.

Insights into the Microbiological Safety of Wooden Cutting Boards Used for Meat Processing in Hong Kong's Wet Markets: A Focus on Food-Contact Surfaces, Cross-Contamination and the Efficacy of Traditional Hygiene Practices.

Hong Kong's wet markets play a crucial role in the country's supply of safe, fresh meat to satisfy the dietary needs of its population. Whilst food safety regulations have been introduced over the past few years to maintain the microbial safety of foods sold from these wet markets, it remains unclear whether the hygiene maintenance that is performed on the wooden cutting boards used for meat-processing is effective. In fact, hygiene maintenance may often be overlooked, and hygiene standards may be insufficient.

Large-Scale Screening of 239 Traditional Chinese Medicinal Plant Extracts for Their Antibacterial Activities against Multidrug-Resistant and Cytotoxic Activities.

Novel alternative antibacterial compounds have been persistently explored from plants as natural sources to overcome antibiotic resistance leading to serious foodborne bacterial illnesses. In this study, the ethanolic extracts from 239 traditional Chinese medicinal plants (TCMP)' materials were screened to discover promising candidates that have strong antibacterial properties against multidrug-resistant and low cytotoxicity. The results revealed that 74 extracts exhibited good antibacterial activities (diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) ≥ 15 mm).

A Field Study Into Hong Kong's Wet Markets: Raised Questions Into the Hygienic Maintenance of Meat Contact Surfaces and the Dissemination of Microorganisms Associated With Nosocomial Infections.

Millions every day purchase their raw meat in wet markets around the globe, especially in Hong Kong city, where modern and a traditional way of living is made possible. While food hygiene standards in Hong Kong have more recently focused on the safety of meat sold in these wet markets, the hygienic surface level of wooden cutting boards used for processing meats is seldom observed. This original study performed microbial community profiling, as well as isolating and identifying various strains multiple wooden cutting boards from nine wet markets located on Hong Kong Island.

Standardization of Education of Patients With Cancer in a Low- and Middle-Income Country: A Quality Improvement Project Using the Booklet.

Purpose: The Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence is the first comprehensive referral cancer center in Rwanda and at its inception did not have a standardized patient education program. Partners in Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima and the Rwandan Ministry of Health conducted a quality improvement project to increase patient knowledge by implementing a standardized oncology education program using picture-based and culturally appropriate materials designed for patients with cancer in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: Four Rwandan nurses were trained to provide patient education using the education booklet created by Global Oncology.

Effects of Lactic Acid Bacteria-Fermented Soymilk on Isoflavone Metabolites and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Excretion and Their Modulating Effects on Gut Microbiota.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain ASCC 1520 with high soy isoflavone transformation ability was used to ferment soymilk and added to the diet of mice. The impact of L. rhamnosus fermentation on soy isoflavone metabolites and intestinal bacterial community, in conjunction with fecal enzyme activity and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) excretion was evaluated.

Could benthic biofilm analyses be used as a reliable proxy for freshwater environmental health?

The quality of freshwater undoubtedly reflects the health of our surrounding environment, society, and economy, as these are supported by various freshwater ecosystems. Monitoring efforts have therefore been considered a vital means of ensuring the ecological health of freshwater environments. Nevertheless, most aquatic environmental monitoring strategies largely focus on bulk water sampling for analysis of physicochemical and key biological indicators, which for the most part do not consider pollution events that occur at any time between sampling events.

Population dynamics of a dual - biofilm in a capillary bioreactor.

Most biofilm studies employ single species, yet in nature biofilms exist as mixed cultures, with inevitable effects on growth and development of each species present. To investigate how related species of bacteria interact in biofilms, two spp., and , were cultured in capillary bioreactors and their growth measured by confocal microscopy and cell counting.

Biofilm research within irrigation water distribution systems: Trends, knowledge gaps, and future perspectives.

Biofilms in irrigation water distribution systems (IWDSs) play an essential role in spreading pathogens, chemical pollutants, and environmental pollutants into downstream irrigated crops and thus should be considered a potential threat to food safety. Although the role of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems has been extensively studied in the last decade, the research on IWDS biofilms in this period has been limited. This review identifies research gaps in the field of IWDS biofilms, provides perspectives on experimental designs for investigating IWDS biofilms, and suggests potential strategies worth pursuing in IWDS management.