Using Competing Bacterial Communication to Disassemble Biofilms

Martins, Daniel P. and Barros, Michael Taynnan and Balasubramaniam, Sasitharan (2016) Using Competing Bacterial Communication to Disassemble Biofilms. In: NANOCOM '16, September 28-30, 2016, New York.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2967446.2967463

Abstract

In recent years, bacterial infections have become a major public health concern due to their ability to cooperate between single and multiple species resisting to various forms of treatments (e.g., antibiotics). One form of protection is through biofilms, where the bacteria produce a protective medium known as the Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS). Researchers are pursuing new multi-disciplinary approaches to treating and kerb the evolving process of these infections through the biofilms, to lower the humans' antibiotic dependence that can result in the so-called \super- bugs". Although various solutions have been proposed to break biofilms, they are based on applying drugs or using nanoparticles. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach, where bacteria will cooperate and surround the biofilms to consume the nutrients. By hijacking the nutrients in the environment and blocking the ow from reaching the biofilms, this will lead to starvation, forcing them to break their structure. Preliminary simulations show that a small action radius of quorum sensing molecules is needed to maximise bacteria attraction to a particular location and create the protective wall. Therefore, this formation is capable of speeds up biofilm dispersal process by two hours.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Departments or Groups: Telecommunications Software and Systems Group
Divisions: School of Science
Depositing User: Admin SSL
Date Deposited: 08 Apr 2019 15:54
Last Modified: 08 Apr 2019 16:13
URI: http://repository-testing.wit.ie/id/eprint/3338

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