Fate of deposited cells in an aerobic binary bacterial biofilm

Miscellaneous · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5670069

Banks, M K

A biofilm is a matrix of microbial cells and their extracellular products that is associated with a solid surface. Previous studies on biofilm development have employed only dissolved compounds as growth limiting substrates, without the influence of microbial species invading from the bulk liquid. The goal of this research project was to quantify the kinetics of processes governing suspended biomass turnover in biofilm systems, and the accompanying effects of suspended cell deposition on biofilm population dynamics. Experiments were conducted with two species of bacteria, Pseudomonas putida ATCC 11172 grown on glucose, and Hyphomicrobium ZV620 grown on methanol. Cryptic growth and particulate hydrolysis studies were evaluated, using combinations of these two bacteria, by measuring the uptake of radiolabelled cell lysis products, under batch conditions. Biofilms studies were performed to investigate bacterial deposition, continual biofilm removal by shear induced erosion, and biofilm ecology. Biofilms were developed in a flow cell reactor, under laminar flow conditions. Bacterial species were differentiated by radioactively labelling each species with their carbon substrate. A mathematical model was developed to predict the biofilm ecology of mixed cultures. The equations developed predict biofilm accumulation, as well as substrate and oxygen consumption. Results indicate that cryptic growth will occur for bacteria growing on their own species soluble lysis products and in some cases, bacteria growing on the soluble lysis products of other species. Particulate hydrolysis only occurred for Pseudomonas putida growing on Pseudomonas putida lysis products, but the lack of particulate hydrolysis occurring in the other studies may have been due to the short experimental period.

• Research Organization: Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5670069
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
GROWTH
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
BATCH CULTURE
BIODEGRADATION
BIOREACTORS
DEPOSITION
GLUCOSE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METHANOL
PSEUDOMONAS
RADIOISOTOPES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
ALCOHOLS
ALDEHYDES
CARBOHYDRATES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
HEXOSES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
MICROORGANISMS
MONOSACCHARIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
SACCHARIDES
550701* - Microbiology- Tracer Techniques