Project description:Prolific heterotrophic biofilm growth is a common occurrence in airport receiving streams containing deicer and anti-icer runoff. This study investigated relations of heterotrophic biofilm prevalence and community composition to environmental conditions at stream sites upstream and downstream of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, WI, during two deicing seasons (2009–2010 and 2010–2011). Modern genetic tools (such as microarray) have not previously been applied to biofilm communities in this type of setting. We used microarray results to characterize biofilm community composition as well as the response of the biofilm community to environmental factors (i.e., organic content (using chemical oxygen demand concentration) and temperature).
Project description:Biofilm formation by the environmental and clinical contaminant Mycobacterium fortuitum causes economic losses and serious threat to human health, as a consequence of its increasing contribution to nosocomial infections. There are no reports that elucidate physiological adaptations taking place during its planktonic to biofilm transition. The present study was hence carried out considering the global proteome of the mycobacterium. This is the first description of a global proteomic investigation into M. fortuitum biofilm. Scrutiny of biological functions in the two states provided insights into the phenotypic switch, and fundamental pathways associated with M. fortuitum pathobiology.
