Survival of and interactions between microorganisms in environmental biofilms

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Escherichia coli is one of the most commonly used fecal indicator organisms worldwide and some pathogenic strains can be waterborne pathogens. Most of what we know about E. coli biofilm is based on the K-12 strain grown under laboratory conditions. Little is known about biofilm development, survival and dispersal of environmental and O157 E. coli strains under environmental conditions. The rpoS is known to be important for biofilm development and dispersal for some bacterial species. However, the role of rpoS on biofilm formation and dispersal of non-K12 strains is not clear. This proposal studies the persistence and detachment of naturalized E. coli in biofilm matrices and will contribute to the understanding and prevention of outbreaks of E. coli in fresh water systems.