title: Single particle tracking reveals spatial and dynamic organization of theE. colibiofilm matrix.
abstract: Biofilms are communities of surface-adherent bacteria surrounded by secreted polymers known as the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Biofilms are harmful in many industries, and thus it is of great interest to understand their mechanical properties and structure to determine ways to destabilize them. By performing single particle tracking with beads of varying surface functionalization it was found that charge interactions play a key role in mediating mobility within biofilms. With a combination of single particle tracking and microrheological concepts, it was found thatEscherichia colibiofilms display height dependent charge density that evolves over time. Statistical analyses of bead trajectories and confocal microscopy showed inter-connecting micron scale channels that penetrate throughout the biofilm, which may be important for nutrient transfer through the system. This methodology provides significant insight into a particular biofilm system and can be applied to many others to provide comparisons of biofilm structure. The elucidation of structure provides evidence for the permeability of biofilms to microscale objects, and the ability of a biofilm to mature and change properties over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.
authors.forename: Alona
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birjiniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Billings
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nance
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21231.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hanes
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ribbeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.
authors.forename: Patrick S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Doyle