title: Filaments in curved streamlines: Rapid formation ofStaphylococcus aureusbiofilm streamers.
abstract: Biofilms are surface-associated conglomerates of bacteria that are highly resistant to antibiotics. These bacterial communities can cause chronic infections in humans by colonizing, for example, medical implants, heart valves, or lungs.Staphylococcus aureus, a notorious human pathogen, causes some of the most common biofilm-related infections. Despite the clinical importance ofS. aureusbiofilms, it remains mostly unknown how physical effects, in particular flow, and surface structure influence biofilm dynamics. Here we use model microfluidic systems to investigate how environmental factors, such as surface geometry, surface chemistry, and fluid flow affect biofilm development inS. aureus.We discovered thatS. aureusrapidly forms flow-induced, filamentous biofilm streamers, and furthermore if surfaces are coated with human blood plasma, streamers appear within minutes and clog the channels more rapidly than if the channels are uncoated. To understand how biofilm streamer filaments reorient in flows with curved streamlines to bridge the distances between corners, we developed a mathematical model based on resistive force theory of slender filaments. Understanding physical aspects of biofilm formation inS. aureusmay lead to new approaches for interrupting biofilm formation of this pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Minyoung Kevin
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 ; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drescher
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: On Shun
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Pak
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 ; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815.
authors.forename: Bonnie L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Bassler
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Howard A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Stone