Minimum information about a biofilm experiment (MIABiE): standards for reporting experiments and data on sessile microbial communities living at interfaces.

The minimum information about a biofilm experiment (MIABiE) initiative has arisen from the need to find an adequate and scientifically sound way to control the quality of the documentation accompanying the public deposition of biofilm-related data, particularly those obtained using high-throughput devices and techniques. Thereby, the MIABiE consortium has initiated the identification and organization of a set of modules containing the minimum information that needs to be reported to guarantee the interpretability and independent verification of experimental results and their integration with knowledge coming from other fields. MIABiE does not intend to propose specific standards on how biofilms experiments should be performed, because it is acknowledged that specific research questions require specific conditions which may deviate from any standardization.

Evaluation of solid and porous microcarriers for cell growth and production of recombinant proteins.

Microcarrier technology opened new perspectives for anchorage-dependent cell culture, by providing increased surface areas for cell adhesion and proliferation, and therefore improving both cell and product yields obtained in these cultures. The establishment of a successful microcarrier culture depends on many factors, such as the type of microcarrier, the cells, and the culture conditions. In this chapter, the basic steps required for the evaluation and optimization of a microcarrier culture for the purpose of production of recombinant proteins are described, for both solid and porous microcarriers.

Feed optimization in fed-batch culture.

Fed-batch processes are a current preference for the production of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. The use of nutrient feeding prevents the depletion of important medium components and results in improved culture longevity and high cell and product yields. To take maximum advantage of these effects, it is important to optimize the fed-batch process for each application.

Adhesion of Candida biofilm cells to human epithelial cells and polystyrene after treatment with silver nanoparticles.

This study investigated the adhesion to human epithelial cells and polystyrene surface of viable yeasts recovered from Candida biofilms treated with silver nanoparticles (SN). Biofilm resuspended Candida cells were added to HeLa cells or to empty wells of microtiter plates and the adhesion was verified using crystal violet staining. The adhesion of Candida cells was significantly reduced, mainly when biofilms were pretreated with 54 μg/mL SN.

Update on the challenging role of biofilms in peritoneal dialysis.

Biofilms are commonly associated with an increased risk of patient infection. In peritoneal dialysis (PD), catheter associated infection, especially peritonitis, remains a clinically relevant problem. Although the presence of a biofilm is recognized in relapsing, repeat, and catheter-related peritonitis, it remains poorly characterized.

Glycosylation: impact, control and improvement during therapeutic protein production.

The emergence of the biopharmaceutical industry represented a major revolution for modern medicine, through the development of recombinant therapeutic proteins that brought new hope for many patients with previously untreatable diseases. There is a ever-growing demand for these therapeutics that forces a constant technological evolution to increase product yields while simultaneously reducing costs. However, the process changes made for this purpose may also affect the quality of the product, a factor that was initially overlooked but which is now a major focus of concern.

Antifungal activity of silver nanoparticles in combination with nystatin and chlorhexidine digluconate against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata biofilms.

Although silver nanoparticles (SN) have been investigated as an alternative to conventional antifungal drugs in the control of Candida-associated denture stomatitis, the antifungal activity of SN in combination with antifungal drugs against Candida biofilms remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal efficacy of SN in combination with nystatin (NYT) or chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG) against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata biofilms. The drugs alone or combined with SN were applied on mature Candida biofilms (48 h), and after 24 h of treatment their antibiofilm activities were assessed by total biomass quantification (by crystal violet staining) and colony forming units enumeration.

Evaluation of macroporous and microporous carriers for CHO-K1 cell growth and monoclonal antibody production.

The emergence of microcarrier technology has brought a renewed interest in anchorage-dependent cell culture for high-yield processes. Well-known in vaccine production, microcarrier culture also has potential for application in other fields. In this work, two types of microcarriers were evaluated for small-scale monoclonal antibody (mAb) production by CHOK1 cells.

Combined effect of linezolid and N-acetylcysteine against Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms.

Introduction: Staphylococcus epidermidis is an organism commonly associated with infections caused by biofilms. Biofilms are less sensible to antibiotics and therefore are more difficult to eradicate. Linezolid and N-acetylcysteine (NAC), have demonstrated to be active against gram-positive microorganisms.

Corrosion behaviour of titanium in the presence of Streptococcus mutans.

Objective: The main aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of Streptococcus mutans on the corrosion of titanium.

Methods: S. mutans biofilms were formed on commercially pure titanium (CP-Ti) square samples (10mm×10mm×1mm) using a culture medium enriched with sucrose.

Farnesol induces cell detachment from established S. epidermidis biofilms.

Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem in Staphylococcus epidermidis infections as many clinical isolates of this organism are resistant to up to eight different antibiotics. The increased resistance to conventional antibiotic therapy has lead to the search for new antimicrobial therapeutic agents. Farnesol, an essential oil found in many plants, has been shown to be active against S.

The impact of microcarrier culture optimization on the glycosylation profile of a monoclonal antibody.

Microcarriers are widely used for the large-scale culture of attachment-dependent cells with increased cell densities and, ultimately, higher product yield. In these processes, the specific culture conditions can affect the quality of the product, which is closely related to its glycosylation pattern. Furthermore, the lack of studies in the area reinforces the need to better understand the effects of microcarrier culture in product glycosylation.

Advances and drawbacks of the adaptation to serum-free culture of CHO-K1 cells for monoclonal antibody production.

Currently, mammalian cell technology has become the focus of biopharmaceutical production, with strict regulatory scrutiny of the techniques employed. Major concerns about the presence of animal-derived components in the culture media led to the development of serum-free (SF) culture processes. However, cell adaptation to SF conditions is still a major challenge and limiting step of process development.

The impact of cell adaptation to serum-free conditions on the glycosylation profile of a monoclonal antibody produced by Chinese hamster ovary cells.

N-glycosylation is one of the most crucial parameters affecting the biological activity of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and should therefore be closely monitored and controlled to guarantee a consistent and high-quality product in biopharmaceutical processes. In the present work, the effect of the time-consuming step of gradual cell adaptation to serum-free conditions on the glycosylation profile of a mAb produced by CHO-K1 cells was evaluated. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed important changes in mAb glycosylation patterns in all steps of serum reduction.

Comparison of commercial serum-free media for CHO-K1 cell growth and monoclonal antibody production.

The selection of a serum-free medium for a particular process of production using mammalian cells is a critical step for its success. In this study, seven commercially available serum-free media (EX-CELL, ISF-I, CD CHO, CDM4CHO, CHO-III-A, Octomed and HybridoMed) were evaluated and compared for cell growth and monoclonal antibody (mAb) production of a transfected CHO-K1 cell line. In the conditions assayed, EX-CELL and particularly CDM4CHO are the most recommended media for extended biopharmaceutical processes, on account of inducing superior levels of cell proliferation and mAb production, accentuated by a tendency to improve over time.

Bayesian Latent Class Models in malaria diagnosis.

Aims: The main focus of this study is to illustrate the importance of the statistical analysis in the evaluation of the accuracy of malaria diagnostic tests, without admitting a reference test, exploring a dataset (n=3317) collected in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Methods: Bayesian Latent Class Models (without and with constraints) are used to estimate the malaria infection prevalence, together with sensitivities, specificities, and predictive values of three diagnostic tests (RDT, Microscopy and PCR), in four subpopulations simultaneously based on a stratified analysis by age groups (< 5, ≥ 5 years old) and fever status (febrile, afebrile).

Results: In the afebrile individuals with at least five years old, the posterior mean of the malaria infection prevalence is 3.

The effect of silver nanoparticles and nystatin on mixed biofilms of Candida glabrata and Candida albicans on acrylic.

The aim of this study was to compare biofilm formation by Candida glabrata and Candida albicans on acrylic, either individually or when combined (single and dual species) and then examine the antimicrobial effects of silver nanoparticles and nystatin on these biofilms. Candidal adhesion and biofilm assays were performed on acrylic surface in the presence of artificial saliva (AS) for 2 h and 48 h, respectively. Candida glabrata and C.

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of certain combinations of antibiotics against in vitro Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms.

Background & Objectives: Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common pathogen associated with infections of surgical implants and other prosthetic devices owing to its adhesion and biofilm-forming ability on biomaterials surfaces. The objective of this study was to compare susceptibilities of biofilm-grown cells to single antibiotic and in combination with others to identify those that were effective against S. epidermidis biofilms.

Candida tropicalis biofilms: effect on urinary epithelial cells.

Candida tropicalis infection is strongly associated with the presence of biofilms in urinary catheters. Thus, the aim of this work was to study the behaviour of C. tropicalis in biofilms of different ages (24-120 h) formed in artificial urine (AU) and their effect in human urinary bladder cells (TCC-SUP).

Confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis of S. epidermidis biofilms exposed to farnesol, vancomycin and rifampicin.

Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis is the major bacterial species found in biofilm-related infections on indwelling medical devices. Microbial biofilms are communities of bacteria adhered to a surface and surrounded by an extracellular polymeric matrix. Biofilms have been associated with increased antibiotic tolerance to the immune system.

Evaluation of the OSCAR system for the production of monoclonal antibodies by CHO-K1 cells.

Biopharmaceutical production of complex recombinant protein therapeutics currently relies on mammalian cells. The development of high-yielding stable cell lines requires processes of transfection, selection and adaptation. With several technologies available, selection has been most frequently based on dihydrofolate reductase or glutamine synthetase systems, which can be very time-consuming.