We study the assembly of inert and living colloids in a two-phase water-water system that provides an environment that can sustain bacteria, providing a new structure with rich potential to confine and structure microbial communities. The water-water system, formed via phase separation of a casein and xanthan mixture, forms a 3-D structure of coexisting casein-rich and xanthan-rich phases. Fluo...

With an aim to shorten start-up time of an Anaerobic Hybrid Reactor (AHR), initial biofilm development was studied, particularly at different upflow feeding velocities. At a low (0.01 m x h(-1)) upflow velocity, initial biofilm was found to develop via the attachment of suspended biomass in the packed zone, while microbial growth on the film was insignificant. Contrarily, with higher (1.0 m x h...

PRD1, an icosahedra-shaped, 62 nm (diameter), double-stranded DNA bacteriophage with an internal membrane, has emerged as an important model virus for studying the manner in which microorganisms are transported through a variety of groundwater environments. The popularity of this phage for use in transport studies involving geologic media is due, in part, to its relative stability over a range ...

An outbreak of 29 cases of bloodstream infection by 16 pathogens occurred during 8 months at two chronic hemodialysis centers. Consequences included 21 hospital admissions and removal of 23 dialysis catheters. An epidemiologic investigation comparing case-patients with uninfected controls showed that risk was significantly (P < .05) associated with having a catheter for vascular access; receivi...

Attachment of soil bacteria to plant cells is supposedly the very early step required in plant-microbe interactions. Attachment also is an initial step for the formation of microbial biofilms on plant roots. For the rhizobia-legume symbiosis, various mechanisms and diverse surface molecules of both partners have been proposed to mediate in this process. The first phase of attachment is a weak, ...

Encapsulation of whole microbial cells in microtubes for use in bioremediation of pollutants in water systems was the main focus of this investigation. Coelectrospinning of a core polymeric solution with bacterial cells and a shell polymer solution using a spinneret with two coaxial capillaries resulted in microtubes with porous walls. The ability of the microtube's structure to support cell at...

This review highlights the current situation of antimicrobial resistance and the use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in developing novel routes for fighting infectious diseases. The most important two directions developed recently are: (i) improved delivery of antimicrobial compounds based on a drastic decrease of the minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of the drug used independently; and (...

The colonization of oral surfaces by micro-organisms occurs in a characteristic sequence of stages, each of which is potentially amenable to external intervention. The process begins with the adhesion of bacteria to host receptors on epithelial cells or in the salivary pellicle covering tooth surfaces. Interbacterial cell-cell binding interactions facilitate the attachment of new species and in...