Viscoelasticity of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm

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• published: 14 Mar 2016
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Year Published: 2003 Author: Rupp This time-lapse video sequence shows Staphylococcus aureus biofilm cell clusters in a glass flow cell stretching and contracting as the flow rate of the nutrient feed is turned up and down between 0 and 9 ml/min. The amount of stretching (strain) can be related to the shear stress caused by the fluid flowing in the flow cell. The strain is then used to investigate the material properties of the attached biofilm. This data demonstrates that the S. aureus biofilm is a viscoelastic material. S. aureus is commonly found on the skin and as part of the naturally occurring oral, nasal, and vaginal microbial flora, where in most people it lives harmlessly. However, S. aureus is also an opportunistic human pathogen and is commonly associated with nosocomial infections. S. aureus often colonizes on medical devices such as venous and renal catheters and is associated with infections such as osteomyelitis (infection of the bone), endocarditis (infection of the heart valves), and bacteremia (infection of the blood). An understanding of the material properties of biofilms is important in predicting how biofilms may respond when exposed to fluid shear forces. Detachment of clumps of pathogenic bacteria from biofilms, or the flow of biofilms across surfaces, may be an important consideration in the dissemination of the infection in the host or from catheters and other medical delivery systems. Additionally, this information may be useful in designing novel strategies for biofilm removal or stabilization. Acknowledgments: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health grant RO1 GM60052 and the W.M. Keck Foundation. The movie sequence is also available at the ASM MicrobeLibrary (www.microbelibrary.org). Movie authors: Rupp CJ, Wilson S and Stoodley P (2003_m04) Reference: Rupp CJ, Fux C, and Stoodley P, "Viscoelasticity of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms in response to fluid shear resists detachment and facilitates rolling migration," Appl Envron Microbiol, 2005; 71(4):2175-2178. Further reading: Klapper I, Rupp CJ, Cargo R, Purevdorj B, and Stoodley P, "A viscoelastic fluid description of bacterial biofilm material properties," Biotechnol Bioeng, 2002; 80:289-296. Stoodley P, Lewandowski Z, Boyle JD, and Lappin-Scott HM, "Structural deformation of bacterial biofilms caused by short term fluctuations in flow velocity: An in situ demonstration of biofilm viscoelasticity," Biotechnol Bioeng, 1999; 65:83-92.