When bacteria or other microorganisms attach to the surfaces of objects in a moist environment and start to reproduce, a slimy glue-like substance called a biofilm is produced.
These biofilms can be extremely problematic in addition to being unpleasant and unappealing.
For instance, the development of biofilm in the medical setting can lessen the efficacy of antibiotic therapies.
Understanding how bacteria act as a group is essential to understanding biomass formation.
Modeling the collective movement of bacteria
The basic components of the cell cycle, cell division, and death are included in a new mathematical model for the motion of bacteria published in EPJE by Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany, researcher Davide Breoni and his co-authors, as per ScienceDaily.
The team connected statistical physics and biophysics by developing a mathematical model of bacterial movement in motion.
According to Breoni, "Our new model belongs to a class of models for 'active matter' that currently attracts significant interest in statistical physics."
The collective characteristics of particle systems with their own energy source are studied in this field; bacteria serve as an example. By implying that bacteria can act as a group when it comes to movement, the team's model surprised everyone.
The model predicts that the development of bacterial colonies can take place through the accumulation of traveling waves, or concentrated "packages" of bacteria, Breoni continues. We were surprised that this would result from such a basic model as ours.
The general public, who may be aware of bacterial colonies but may not be aware of how they move collectively, should find the results interesting, in his opinion.
Breoni ends by pointing out that this is a very straightforward model that suggests where the research might go from here. We could try to make the model more accurate and compare the outcomes to conduct experiments to test its hypotheses, the author suggests.
On the other hand, this research is very much driven by the researchers' intense discussions, which is a method we'd like to stick with so that we can keep surprising ourselves with our results.
Read more: Plastic Waste in Freshwater Lakes Turned Into Colonies of Freshwater Algae
Biofilms
Prokaryotic organisms that have congregated to form a colony make up a biofilm, which is a thick layer, as per Biology Dictionary. A slime layer that the colony uses to adhere to a surface helps to protect the microorganisms.
Biofilms are created for a variety of reasons, all of which help the microorganisms grow and survive. Nearly all environments contain biofilms, which can be harmful. Numerous prokaryotic organisms come together to form a colony in a microbial biofilm.
A polysaccharide layer is applied on top of the colony to keep it attached to the surface (or slime layer). The slime is made up of numerous porous layers with channels that let the colony's central cells take in nutrients and expel waste.
Cell-to-cell communication is used to create and maintain a biofilm. One or a few cells adhering to a surface leads to the formation of a biofilm. These initial cells generate proteins that serve as signals for cells in the area.
When nearby cells pick up on the signals, new cells are essentially recruited into the colony. The biofilm is created as the nearby cells assemble and start to form as a result of the chemical cues. The colony of these cells then grows as the biofilm thickens as a result of additional signals that these cells send out.
The development of the polysaccharides that will make up the slime layer is also indicated by the proteins. A layer of slime develops over and around the expanding colony. For metabolic cooperation, the microorganisms in a biofilm group together to form a colony. Through improved defense, increased nutrient availability, and better opportunities for cellular communication and genetic material transfer, this cooperative growth strategy increases the survival of the cells.
In order to defend against physical dangers like fluid displacement or immune system removal, cellular defense is crucial. The colony is attached to a surface by the biofilm's polysaccharide coating, which also serves as an adhesive. This stops the cells from being physically removed. It also stops the immune system or antibiotics from penetrating the biofilm.
Related article: MIT Researchers Develop Living Material Using E. coli