Background Biofilm: community of microorganisms attached to a surface Biofouling: the process by which unwanted material accumulates on a surface
Extracellular Polymeric Substance Composition of EPS synthesized varies from microbe to microbe Functional role in microbial survival i.e. adhesion, protection Critical for the structure and survival of the biofilm Determines the micro-habitat of the cells within the biofilm Influenced by the surrounding environment Flemming, 2011
Extracellular Polymeric Substance EPS of microbial origin are a complex mixture of biopolymers comprising polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, uronic acids, humic substances, lipids… Bacterial secretions Shedding of cell surface materials Cell lysates Adsorption of organic constituents from the environment result in EPS formation in a wide variety of free-living bacteria as well as microbial aggregates like biofilms, bioflocs and biogranules. Pal & Paul, 2008
Biofilm formation EPS has a role in all parts of biofilm formation Vogeleer et al., 2014 EPS has a role in all parts of biofilm formation Aids in the adhesion to surfaces Formation of complexes Dissolution of the biofilm Limoli et al, 2015
Transparent exopolymer particles Sub group of extracellular polymeric substance Organic microgels of various sizes Present in marine and fresh water Colonised by microorganisms Naturally produced by phytoplankton and bacteria. TEP stained with alcian blue Bar-zeev et al, 2012 Bar-zeev et al, 2012
Role of EPS & TEP in biofouling Bar-Zeev et al., 2015
References Bar-Zeev, E., Berman-Frank, I., Girshevitzb, O., Berman, T., 2012, Revised paradigm of aquatic biofilm formation facilitated by microgel transparent exopolymer particles, PNAS, 109: 9119 – 9124. Bar-Zeev, E., Passow, U., Castrillon, S. R-V., Elimelech, M., 2015, Transparent Exopolymer Particles: From Aquatic Environments and Engineered Systems to Membrane Biofouling, Envir. Sci. & Tech., 49: 691 – 707. Flemming, H. C. 2011. The perfect slime, Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 86: 251 – 259. Limoli, D.H., Jones, C. J., Wozniak, D. J., 2015, Bacterial extracellular polysaccharides in biofilm formation and function, Microbiol. Spectrum, 1 – 19. Pal, A., Paul, A.K., 2008, Microbial extracellular polymeric substances: central elements in heavy metal bioremediation, Indian J. Microbiol., 48:49–64. Vogeleer, P., Tremblay, Y. D. N., Mafu, A. A. Jacques, M., Harel, J., 2014, Life on the outside: role of biofilms in environmental persistence of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli, Frontiers in microbiol., 5: 1 – 12.