Biofilm最新文献

{"title":"Development of a high-resolution multiplex qPCR method to profile microbial consortia in spaceflight water recovery systems","authors":"Amber Dowell Busboom ,&nbsp;Jiseon Yang ,&nbsp;Taylor M. Ranson ,&nbsp;Cheryl A. Nickerson ,&nbsp;Evan G. Ortiz ,&nbsp;Robert J.C. McLean","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2026.100349","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2026.100349","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A key component of life support on the International Space Station (ISS) is the Water Recovery System (WRS), which recycles and disinfects urine, other wastewater, and humidity condensate for use as potable water. A resident mixed-species bacterial population has persisted in the WRS, upstream from the disinfection components, despite various microbial control methods. Five bacterial species (<em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia contaminans</em>, <em>Methylobacterium fujisawaense, Ralstonia insidiosa,</em> and <em>Cupriavidus metallidurans</em>) have been regularly isolated from the WRS and have a propensity to form biofilms, which can reduce susceptibility to antimicrobial treatments. WRS organisms have been associated with biofouling and potential corrosion of valves and filtration components. Currently, microbial monitoring on the ISS requires samples to be collected and sent back to Earth for culture-based analysis, a process that can take months, given the constraints of spacecraft scheduling. Culture-independent monitoring could be established on the ISS and other spacecraft, thereby enabling rapid estimates of microbial population density and individual species’ susceptibility to disinfection. This technology will be critical in future missions beyond low Earth orbit, when access to reference labs is not possible. Here, we report on the development and validation of a multiplex quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) method to identify and quantify members of a five species model biofilm community acquired from the ISS. Species-specific primers and probes detect organisms to an estimated detection limit of 10⁴–10⁶ CFU and detect the specific targeting of <em>C. metallidurans</em> by ampicillin when overall population levels were not significantly changed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100349"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Staphylococcal persistence and biofilm resistance in bone-anchored hearing systems: Clinical impact","authors":"Marsel Ganeyev ,&nbsp;Liliana Morales-Laverde ,&nbsp;Maria Hoffman ,&nbsp;Malou Hultcrantz ,&nbsp;Anders Palmquist ,&nbsp;Peter Thomsen ,&nbsp;Martin L. Johansson ,&nbsp;Margarita Trobos","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Persistent inflammation and infection, often linked to staphylococcal colonization, affect bone-anchored hearing system (BAHS) outcomes. Although antibiotics are often used to treat skin complications, the roles of biofilms and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in clinical success remain unclear. This clinical prospective study characterized biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance in <em>Staphylococcus</em> spp. from BAHS patients, and examined associations with inflammation, pain, and hygiene. Adults eligible for BAHS were prospectively enrolled at a tertiary university hospital in Sweden during 2014–2015. Fifteen patients were followed clinically and microbiologically at surgery, 3- and 12- months. Abutment, peri-abutment exudate and soft-tissue samples were cultured. Fifty-seven <em>Staphylococcus</em> spp. isolates underwent biofilm phenotyping (Crystal Violet, Congo Red), antimicrobial susceptibility testing (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC], minimum biofilm eradication concentration [MBEC]) and whole-genome sequencing (lineage, AMR and virulence genes). Clinical status was scored (Holgers, pain, debris). Individual patients harbored the same staphylococcal clone on abutment, exudate, and tissue for 12 months. <em>S. aureus</em> was more prevalent in patients with inflammation (Holgers score &gt;0), <em>S. epidermidis</em> correlated with pain, and slime production was associated with debris accumulation. Overall, 56 % of isolates showed resistance to fusidic acid, and 11–34 % carried tetracycline resistance genes. <em>S. epidermidis</em> carried multidrug resistance genes (beta-lactams, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, fosfomycin), and resistance increased under biofilm conditions (MBEC &gt; MIC). The <em>ica</em> operon was detected in all <em>S. aureus</em> and <em>S. epidermidis</em> ST7, ST297, ST749 and ST278. These findings indicate that staphylococci from BAHS exhibit persistent colonization, diverse clonal lineages, and high biofilm-associated AMR. Early microbial diagnostics and biofilm-targeted strategies, alongside cautious use of topical antibiotics, may improve outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100342"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inactivation of Cysteine Synthase CysK-A enhances flocculation, biofilm formation, and sensitivity to oxidative stress in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7","authors":"Job Herrera-Galindo ,&nbsp;Clara Andrea Alcantara-Rosales ,&nbsp;Oscar Mateo Ojeda Jr. ,&nbsp;María Luisa Xiqui-Vázquez ,&nbsp;Claudia Mancilla-Simbro ,&nbsp;Sandra Reyes-Carmona ,&nbsp;Beatriz Eugenia Baca ,&nbsp;Alberto Ramírez-Mata","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cysteine biosynthesis is a critical metabolic pathway for bacterial physiology. However, the full impact on the lifestyle of the plant-beneficial bacterium <em>Azospirillum brasilense</em> Sp7 is not completely understood. Our previous work identified a cysteine synthase A (CysK-A) as a key enzyme in cysteine synthesis in <em>A. brasilense</em> Sp7, but its inactivation did not lead to cysteine auxotrophy, suggesting functional redundancy in this type of enzyme. Here, we comprehensively characterized an <em>A. brasilense</em> AR <em>cysK</em>-A mutant, revealing a multifaceted phenotype that highlights the indispensable role of CysK-A. The <em>cysK</em>-A mutant exhibited a growth defect that was rescued by genetic and chemical complementation, underscoring the importance of <em>de novo</em> cysteine synthesis for optimal metabolic fitness. Furthermore, the <em>cysK</em>-A mutant displayed a striking hyper-aggregative behavior, characterized by significantly enhanced flocculation, biofilm formation, and exopolysaccharide production. Confocal microscopy revealed an abundance of ovoid, cyst-like cells. This transition toward a sessile lifestyle, induced by cysteine limitation stress, correlated with the intracellular accumulation of cyclic-di-GMP, as determined by a c-di-GMP biosensor assay. Additionally, the <em>cysK</em>-A mutant exhibited increased sensitivity to exogenous hydrogen peroxide stress, a deficiency that was restored by <em>cysK</em>-A complementation. The mutation also led to enhanced adhesion to radish seeds; however, it did not result in statistically significant differences in overall radish seedling colonization after seven days, possibly due to compensatory mechanisms. Collectively, our findings establish CysK-A as crucial for optimal growth, stress tolerance, and the regulation of aggregative behaviors in <em>A. brasilense</em> Sp7, providing insights into the adaptive strategies employed by this important plant-associating bacterium.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100335"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amino acid starvation and iron limitation facilitate the biofilm formation of Klebsiella pneumoniae within urine","authors":"Xinming Pan ,&nbsp;Yinchu Zhu ,&nbsp;Yan Zhang ,&nbsp;Jie Zhao ,&nbsp;Xing Gao ,&nbsp;Caiying Li ,&nbsp;Yong Yu ,&nbsp;Jiale Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2026.100347","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2026.100347","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biofilm formation is a critical virulence mechanism in pathogens such as <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em>, a Gram-negative, encapsulated bacterium that has emerged as a zoonotic threat capable of infecting both humans and animals. Its biofilm-forming ability is closely associated with catheter-related and urinary tract infections. Given its potential to cross species barriers and cause significant public health concern, elucidating the environmental cues and conserved molecular pathways driving biofilm formation is essential for developing cross-species prevention strategies. Here we found that <em>K. pneumoniae</em> exhibited significantly greater biofilm-forming efficiency in urine than in nutrient-rich medium under comparable biomass conditions. Transposon-insertion sequencing (Tn-seq) identified 19 fitness genes essential for optimal growth in urine, most involved in the <em>de novo</em> biosynthesis of amino acids, particularly arginine, methionine, and isoleucine. Urine represents an amino acid-starved (AAS) environment for <em>K. pneumoniae</em>, modulating c-di-GMP signaling to promote biofilm formation. Eight diguanylate cyclase (DGC, c-di-GMP synthesis) genes, four phosphodiesterase (PDE, c-di-GMP degradation) genes, and four DGC + PDE genes were significantly regulated in response to urine. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis comparing <em>K. pneumoniae</em> grown in urine with that grown in M9 medium revealed significant activation of genes associated with exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis, including those encoding lipopolysaccharides (LPS), capsules, peptidoglycan, and enterobacterial common antigen (ECA). Notably, <em>K. pneumoniae</em> increases EPS biosynthesis under the iron-limited conditions in urine, further promoting biofilm development. In conclusion, AAS-mediated c-di-GMP signaling and iron limitation are key drivers of biofilm formation by <em>K. pneumoniae</em> in urine, providing mechanistic insights that may guide strategies to disrupt biofilm formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100347"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Directed evolution of phage Romulus in biofilm-embedded Staphylococcus aureus: mutations in baseplate proteins enhanced its antibiofilm activity","authors":"Claudia Campobasso ,&nbsp;Pauline Henderix ,&nbsp;Ekaterina Jalomo-Khayrova ,&nbsp;Sara Bolognini ,&nbsp;Gert Bange ,&nbsp;Rob Lavigne ,&nbsp;Arianna Tavanti ,&nbsp;Jeroen Wagemans ,&nbsp;Mariagrazia Di Luca","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2026.100345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2026.100345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ability of <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> to form biofilm and the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains make staphylococcal infections often chronic and difficult to treat. To face these challenges, alternative or adjunct strategies to antibiotics are urgently required. In this context, phage therapy gained renewed interest as promising approach to target multidrug-resistant bacteria. To enhance their efficacy as natural phages, they can undergo directed evolution via serial host passages. To date, most protocols focus on planktonic cultures, while the effects towards biofilm-targeted evolution remain poorly explored.</div><div>Our study aims at investigating the potential of a new directed evolution protocol designed to specifically enhance the efficacy of phage Romulus to target staphylococcal sessile communities and to identify whether specific phage proteins are involved in this process.</div><div>The method involved 31 serial passages with a two-step incubation: 1 h for phage adsorption and infection, followed by 8 h for its amplification. Mutant phages were isolated, sequenced, and phenotypically characterised.</div><div>Mutations emerged in two baseplate proteins (gp54 and gp58), involved in host adsorption. Three mutants (R31, R31p2, R31p5) showed enhanced bactericidal activity against planktonic cells and improved efficacy against biofilm, achieving up to a 4-log₁₀ reduction. While their host range remained consistent with the wildtype, phage Romulus mutants exhibited higher efficiency of plating against the nine out of 21 sensitive <em>S. aureus</em> strains.</div><div>Overall, our results underscore the potential of biofilm-adapted phages to improve phage efficacy towards both planktonic and sessile cells, without impacting on the phage host range. The analysis of mutations suggested that the baseplate plays a crucial role in targeting biofilm-embedded cells, even if further investigation is necessary to explain the molecular basis responsible for the enhanced lytic efficacy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"11 ","pages":"Article 100345"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022654","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fluorene derivatives as potent antifungal and antibiofilm agents against fluconazole-resistant Candida albicans","authors":"Oluwatosin Oluwaseun Faleye ,&nbsp;Amra Yunus ,&nbsp;Jin-Hyung Lee,&nbsp;Jintae Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Candida albicans</em> ranks as one of the most common causes of fungal sepsis in hospitalized patients around the world with an increasing mortality rate. The current antifungal drugs in use face several limitations including fungal resistance due to biofilm formation. This has complicated the treatment landscape, necessitating the need for continued search for effective therapeutic options against drug-resistant <em>C. albicans</em> threats. Therefore, this study investigated eighteen fluorene derivatives for their antifungal and antibiofilm potential against <em>C. albicans</em>. Two fluorene derivatives namely: 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) fluorene (BHPF) and fluorene-9-acetic acid (FAA) were identified as potential inhibitors of <em>Candida</em> biofilms, achieving 97 % and 89 % inhibition at 10 μg/mL. Microscopic studies also confirmed their antibiofilm efficacy, with BHPF demonstrating activities comparable to amphotericin B. Furthermore, BHPF inhibited planktonic cell growth at concentration as low as 5 μg/mL. Both BHPF and FAA exhibited fungicidal activity and also inhibited <em>C. albicans</em> virulence factors such as cell aggregation and hyphal formation. Notably, neither compound showed propensity for resistance development over 15 passages. Additionally, toxicity evaluations in both plant and <em>Caenorhabditis elegans</em> model revealed non-to mild toxicity, and the ADMET prediction also satisfied the criteria for drug-likeliness. The results of this multifaceted investigation highlight the potential of BHPF and FAA as novel antifungal agents targeting <em>C. albicans</em> infections and biofilm-related challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100319"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145219001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering an electroactive bacterial cellulose-carbon nanotube composite membrane against Staphylococcus aureus","authors":"Daniel S. Levin ,&nbsp;Camila S. Cué Royo ,&nbsp;Denis Johnson ,&nbsp;Soumalya Ghosh ,&nbsp;Sricharani Rao Balmuri ,&nbsp;Huda Usman ,&nbsp;Shakira M. Martínez Vásquez ,&nbsp;David Kumar Yesudoss ,&nbsp;Abdoulaye Djire ,&nbsp;Mostafa Bedewy ,&nbsp;Tagbo H.R. Niepa","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> is the leading cause of skin infections in the U.S., and its rapid evolution and resistance to antibiotics create a barrier to effective treatment. In this study, we engineered a composite membrane with bacterial cellulose and carbon nanotubes (BC-CNT) as an electroactive dressing to rapidly eradicate vancomycin-intermediate <em>S. aureus</em>. Nonpathogenic <em>Komagataeibacter sucrofermentans</em> produced the BC membrane at an air-liquid interface. Then, carboxyl-functionalized multi-walled CNTs were integrated into decellularized BC to create stable and electrically conductive BC-CNT dressings. The electric potential and ionic flux across BC-CNT were modeled and standardized via chronoamperometry for experimental validation. We found that treatment with electroactive BC-CNT increases <em>S. aureus</em> sensitivity to vancomycin and prevents macro-scale biofilm formation. The bactericidal efficacy of the composite membrane is consistent with electrochemical stress caused by voltage mediated with BC-CNT. After a single hour of combinatorial electrical and drug treatment, biofilm-forming capacity was inhibited by nearly 92 %. These results advance applications of electrochemistry in medicine and create a new direction to overcome <em>S. aureus</em> infections on skin and soft tissues.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100305"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144694323","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Farnesol emulsion for elimination of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm in a 3D airway model of cystic fibrosis","authors":"Li Tan ,&nbsp;Khiry Sutton ,&nbsp;Sean V. Murphy ,&nbsp;Nicole Levi","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-shortening genetic disease, is hallmarked by mucus obstruction, respiratory deficiency, and chronic bacterial infections. <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> is the most common virulent respiratory pathogen that is detrimental to the overall survival of CF patients. Here we evaluate the efficacy of farnesol emulsion, a broad-spectrum agent recently used to combat <em>P. aeruginosa</em> biofilm infections, for reducing <em>P. aeruginosa</em> infections in CF using a three-dimensional (3D) airway “organ tissue equivalent” (OTE) model. OTEs are fabricated using cells derived from human primary cells sourced from CF donors (CF-OTEs), which accurately recapitulate multiple key traits of human CF airways, including increased mucin accumulation and lower cilium beating frequency, compared to OTEs derived from normal donors (N-OTEs). The OTE model closely approximates the native CF condition to provide a platform where both mucoid and nonmucoid <em>P. aeruginosa</em> establish biofilms. Luminescence quantification and viable bacterial enumeration demonstrated that more <em>P. aeruginosa</em> biofilm mass developed upon CF-OTEs compared to non-CF (normal) OTEs. The capability to establish infection and biofilm formation, without acute tissue toxicity, allows for rapid discrimination of therapeutic efficacy in an accurate, human <em>in vitro</em> model. Farnesol emulsion disrupted <em>P. aeruginosa</em> biofilms <em>in situ</em> and also protected OTE lung cell viability. We propose that the 3D airway OTE infection model is a reliable preclinical tool for CF drug screening, with farnesol emulsion being a prospective drug candidate to treat <em>P. aeruginosa</em> biofilm infections in CF.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100317"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145121175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combating biofilm formation and bacterial killing: N-acetylcysteine's efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in urinary catheters","authors":"Arthika Manoharan ,&nbsp;Greg Whiteley ,&nbsp;Rajesh Kuppusamy ,&nbsp;Slade Jensen ,&nbsp;Trevor Glasbey ,&nbsp;Zhuoran Chen ,&nbsp;Lia Moshkanbaryans ,&nbsp;Kate H. Moore ,&nbsp;Theerthankar Das ,&nbsp;Jim Manos","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100296","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100296","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Uropathogenic <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> is a significant contributor to catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs), distinguished by its unique biofilm-forming properties compared to other strains. Despite its clinical significance, optimized strategies for biofilm eradication in the bladder and on catheters remain limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to highlight the potent antibacterial and biofilm-inhibitory effects of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) against uropathogenic <em>P. aeruginosa</em>. Additionally, we sought to investigate its effect against catheter obstruction caused by <em>P. aeruginosa</em> in a patient, and whether this phenomenon can be replicated <em>in vitro</em> to underscore the urgency of addressing this critical challenge.</div><div>We demonstrated that uropathogenic <em>P. aeruginosa</em> form thick, mucoid biofilms <em>in vitro</em> that can heavily occlude catheters, with bacterial titres of between 10⁸ and 10¹¹ CFU/cm, thus impairing catheter functionality. Furthermore, treatment with NAC significantly reduced viable bacteria by &gt; 4_log10 (p &lt; 0.01), and inhibited biofilm formation and associated obstruction till experiment endpoint (96h). NAC also displayed significant bactericidal activity (p &lt; 0.001) against <em>P. aeruginosa</em> and significantly impeded bacterial attachment and aggregation through modulation of colloidal forces and change in the structure of the bacterial cell surface, thus impairing the bacterium's ability to initiate biofilm development. Mechanistically, NAC alters the bacterial surface structure, disrupting biofilm-associated virulence.</div><div>Hence our study found that NAC treatment physically disrupts uropathogenic <em>P. aeruginosa</em> biofilms and significantly alters its virulence. Our novel findings highlight the dual bactericidal and anti-biofilm properties of NAC <em>in vitro</em>, offering valuable insights into its potential application for preventing <em>P. aeruginosa</em> biofilm formation and catheter blockage in CA-UTI management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100296"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Asia-Pacific Biofilms 2024: A global conference on microbial biofilms","authors":"Zhenbo Xu ,&nbsp;Birthe Kjellerup ,&nbsp;Chuanwu Xi ,&nbsp;Enrico Marsili ,&nbsp;Gamini Seneviratne ,&nbsp;Guanglei Qiu ,&nbsp;Honghua Hu ,&nbsp;Luyan Ma ,&nbsp;Liang Yang ,&nbsp;Yue Qu ,&nbsp;Yulong Tan ,&nbsp;Yaqin Li ,&nbsp;Feifeng Zhong ,&nbsp;Junyan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100322","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bioflm.2025.100322","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55844,"journal":{"name":"Biofilm","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100322"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}