RUI: Surface and Analytical Chemistry to Elucidate Fundamental Biofilm Properties and Mechanisms of Biofilm Control

西方学院的Eileen M. Spain教授、纽约州立大学新帕尔茨分校的Megan A. Ferguson教授和Mt Holyoke学院的Megan E. Nunez教授得到化学系分析和表面化学项目的支持，研究细菌生物膜的化学和物理特性，以及它们被捕食者（如Bdellovibrio）消耗的机制。考虑了两种不同的方法。第一个重点是使用原子力显微镜（AFM）来表征细菌细胞在生物膜形成的各个阶段的特性。具体来说，AFM的力测量模式将用于测量细胞弹簧常数、表面生物分子压缩和与尖端的粘附。第二种方法侧重于蛭弧菌在攻击革兰氏阴性菌生物膜中的作用。将对蛭形弧菌群体感应和蛭形弧菌产生的色素进行研究。这项研究的最终目标是确定蛭弧菌的捕食行为如何受到生物膜细胞物理特性的影响，以及猎物细胞表面的哪些特性使捕食者能够识别出它是可食用的。了解细菌如何在同一物种和不同物种之间交流，以及捕食者如何识别生物膜中的猎物细胞，对微生物学、医学、生态学和生物防御具有巨大的意义。来自不同种族和社会经济背景的三所主要本科院校的本科生将接触到化学和微生物学之间的跨学科研究。

Professors Eileen M. Spain of Occidental College, Megan A. Ferguson of SUNY New Paltz, and Megan E. Nunez of Mt Holyoke College are supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry to investigate the chemical and physical properties of bacterial biofilms, and the mechanisms by which they are consumed by predators, such as Bdellovibrio. Two separate approaches are considered. The first focuses on the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterize the properties of bacterial cells during various stages of biofilm formation. Specifically, the force measurement modes of the AFM will be used to measure cellular spring constants, surface biomolecule compression, and adhesion to the tip. The second approach focuses on the role of Bdellovibrio in attacking the biofilms of Gram-negative organisms. Quorum sensing in Bdellovibrio, and the pigments produced by Bdellovibrio, will be investigated. The ultimate goals of the proposed research are to determine how Bdellovibrio predation is affected by the physical properties of biofilm cells, and what property of the prey cell surface allows the predator to recognize it as edible. Understanding how bacteria communicate within the same and different species and how predators recognize prey cells in biofilms has tremendous relevance to microbiology, medicine, ecology and biodefense. Undergraduate students from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic background at three primarily undergraduate institutions will be exposed to interdisciplinary research at the interface between chemistry and microbiology.