CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOFILMS ON BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC SURFACES

• Sponsoring Institution: Agricultural Research Service/USDA
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: USDA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0426575
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2014
• Project End Date: Jul 31, 2017
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
BLUEWAVE MICROBICS, LLC
11891 BLUE FEBRUARY WAY
COLUMBIA,MD 21044

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

50%

Applied

50%

Developmental

0%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
712	0210	1070	50%
712	1430	1100	50%

Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
1430 - Greens and leafy vegetables; 0210 - Water resources;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 1100 - Bacteriology;

Keywords

biofilms

pathogens

food

safety

e

coli

salmonella

Goals / Objectives
To 1) utilize metagenomics techniques to characterize the microbial diversity of biofilms on various biotic (simulated leaves) and abiotic (food processing equipment)surfaces, and 2) investigate factors controlling bacterial attachment to and detachment from biofilms.

Project Methods
Biofilms will be created on abiotic surfaces and simulated leaf surfaces by recirculating water containing nutrients and bacteria in a bioreactor. Biofilms will periodically be sampled and the bacterial community characterized using metagenomic techniques. Some biofilms will be created by inoculating specific pathogens (e.g. E. coli, Salmonella) into the recirculation flow and determining the extent of incorporation. In those biofilms where substantial pathogen incorporation has ocurred, sequencing techniques will be used to elucidate the particular surface appendages (fimbria, pili) involved in attachment. Mature biofilms will be studied to determine the sequence and extent of bacterial detachment (sloughing) from the biofilm.