Molecular Forces in Microbial Biofilms

微生物生物膜中的分子力

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-06522
• 负责人: Sullan, RubyMay
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=632488
• 关键词: Molecular; Forces; Microbial; Biofilms

This NSERC discovery grant proposal seeks to discover mechanisms underlying the molecular forces that stabilize microbial biofilm formation on a wide variety of surfaces. Microbial biofilms play a central role in most major fouling problems in several sectors in Canada (e.g. food safety, agriculture, industrial and oil pipelines, ship hull coatings etc.), and is estimated to cost billions of dollars annually. A key reason behind this growing biofilm-related problems is our limited understanding of the mechanisms by which bacteria adhere to a wide range of surfaces, and the lack of molecular understanding behind the forces responsible for stabilizing these biofilms. As initial adhesion and microcolony formation of bacteria on surfaces are crucial pre-requisites for mature biofilms, this research program will target the initial stages of biofilm formation, and will focus on the “molecular forces” that confer biofilm stability during these critical phases of biofilm development. In particular, it aims to dissect the nanoscopic interplay between bacteria’s surface adhesion molecules and the properties of the underlying substrate, initially addressing the influence of substrate stiffness on the growth of

这个NSERC发现补助金提案旨在发现稳定各种表面上微生物生物膜形成的分子力的潜在机制。微生物生物膜在加拿大的几个部门（例如食品安全、农业、工业和石油管道、船舶船体涂层等）的大多数主要污垢问题中发挥核心作用，估计每年要花费数十亿美元。这种日益增长的生物膜相关问题背后的一个关键原因是我们对细菌粘附在各种表面上的机制的了解有限，以及缺乏对稳定这些生物膜的分子理解。由于细菌在表面上的初始粘附和小菌落形成是成熟生物膜的关键先决条件，因此本研究计划将针对生物膜形成的初始阶段，并将重点关注在生物膜发展的这些关键阶段赋予生物膜稳定性的“分子力”。特别是，它的目的是解剖细菌的表面粘附分子和底层衬底的性质之间的纳米级相互作用，最初解决衬底刚度对细菌生长的影响。