Background: Some microorganisms can adhere to food handling surfaces forming biofilms that pose a safety challenge. This study was done to evaluate bacterial biofilm formation in milking equipments in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods: Pooled milk (n=54) and water (n=60) samples were collected from households and milk bulking groups in Lilongwe, Malawi. Swabbing (n=46) and rinsing (n=16) were done on ...

Turbidity, which is caused by suspended chemical and biological particles, can have both water safety and aesthetic implications for drinking-water supplies. Turbidity itself does not always represent a direct risk to public health; however, it can indicate the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and be an effective indicator of hazardous events throughout the water supply system, from catchm...

Archaea are widely distributed and yet are most often not the most abundant members of microbial communities. Here, we document a transition from Bacteria- to Archaea-dominated communities in microbial biofilms sampled from the Richmond Mine acid mine drainage (AMD) system (∼pH 1.0, ∼38°C) and in laboratory-cultivated biofilms. This transition occurs when chemoautotrophic microbial communities ...

1) Microbial control is inadequate 2) It results in higher proportions of Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and nitrifying bacteria in biofilms 3) It induces the viable-but-nonculturable (VBNC) state in Legionella 4) Higher concentrations of nitrite and nitrate (regulated drinking water contaminants) can occur 5) It degrades to ammonium ion in premise plumbing treatments which can lead ...

This study evaluated the continuous impact of monochloramine disinfection on laboratory-grown biofilms through the characterization of biofilm architecture and microbial community structure. Biofilm development and disinfection were achieved using CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) biofilm reactor systems with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coupons as the substratum and sand filter-pret...

In polymicrobial biofilms a high level of interspecies interactions occur with often detrimental effect to the host. Many chronic infections are attributed to polymicrobial biofilms which tend to exhibit increased resistance to antimicrobial therapy. Yet despite the gravity of such infections, areas of study in polymicrobial diseases are in their infancy. Thus, much work is needed to promote a ...

Larval settlement in the fouling polychaete Hydroides elegans Haswell (1883) is mediated by natural biofilms, a complex consortium of marine bacteria, benthic diatoms, protozoa, fungi and adsorbed organic matter. Currently, the inductive effect of natural biofilms on larval settlement is attributed to the bacterial component. In this paper, we present results of an investigation of the diatom c...

M Biofilms provides an overview of the formation, structure/architecture, cell-to-cell interactions, and dispersal of fungal and bacterial biofilms. The target audience is biofilm researchers, but this second edition of the book should also be useful for healthcare practitioners seeking a better understanding of microbial biofilms in healthcare delivery. The number of published papers pertainin...

Households provide environments that encourage the formation of microbial communities, often as biofilms. Such biofilms constitute potential reservoirs for pathogens, particularly for immune-compromised individuals. One household environment that potentially accumulates microbial biofilms is that provided by vinyl shower curtains. Over time, vinyl shower curtains accumulate films, commonly refe...

The composition and microbial community structure of the drinking water system biofilms were investigated using microstructure analysis and 454 pyrosequencing technique in Xiamen city, southeast of China. SEM (scanning electron microscope) results showed different features of biofilm morphology in different fields of PVC pipe. Extracellular matrix material and sparse populations of bacteria (ma...