Mixed-species biofilms in the food industry: Current knowledge and novel control strategies

Abstract

Attachment of microorganisms to food contact surfaces and the subsequent formation of biofilms may cause equipment damage, food spoilage and even diseases. Mixed-species biofilms are ubiquitous in the food industry and they generally exhibit higher resistance to disinfectants and antimicrobials compared to single-species biofilms. The physiology and metabolic activity of microorganisms in mixed-species biofilms are however rather complicated to study, and despite targeted research efforts, the potential role of mixed-species biofilms in food industry is still rather unexplored. In this review, we summarize recent studies in the context of bacterial social interactions in mixed-species biofilms, resistance to disinfectants, detection methods, and potential novel strategies to control the formation of mixed-species biofilms for enhanced food safety and food quality.     

生物电化学脱氮系统构建和影响因素的最新研究进展

生物电化学脱氮技术是一种以电化学活性细菌作为催化剂的污水处理技术，因其绿色、环保、节能的特点而备受关注。本文介绍了不同脱氮技术的机理，从脱氮性能、成本、二次污染大小和污染物转化率等角度对现有脱氮技术进行评价，指出了生物电化学脱氮技术的优势和应用前景；重点综述反应器运行参数、溶液组分、脱氮生物膜的培养方式、生物电化学脱氮系统内菌种构成等因素对生物电化学脱氮系统的影响，并提出了优化脱氮系统的方法；同时总结了生物电化学脱氮技术在处理屠宰场废水、焦化废水和含高氯酸盐废水等方面的应用现状。研究表明：从脱氮系统内不同微生物的角度，尤其是电活性微生物角度探究生物电化学脱氮过程的机理，调控脱氮生物膜的形成和改变脱氮系统运行参数，是改进生物电化学脱氮技术的有效途径。     

生物滴滤床法降解二氯甲烷废气的因素影响特征

二氯甲烷作为溶剂广泛应用于制药行业，其挥发性废气对人类健康和大气环境的危害极大。本文采用生物滴滤床对某制药厂浓度范围在0.02~2g/m³的二氯甲烷废气进行了为期132天的中试规模实验。在适宜的停留时间、温度、喷淋量和pH等实验条件下，控制适当的进气浓度可得到高效去除效率并且废气出口浓度达标。实验揭示了生物膜内生物降解是过程的限制因素，结果表明，在喷淋量为1200L/h、进气浓度范围为0.45~0.65g/m³时该生物系统去除效率最高可达98.9%，最大去除负荷可达EC_max=155.25g/(m³·h)。随着进气浓度的增加，去除负荷随之增大，而去除效率下降，废气出口浓度超标，表明生物滴滤系统已处于反应控制。此外，间歇实验表明，该生物系统具有良好的稳定性。指出生物滴滤床的设计、运行取决于当地的二氯甲烷废气排放标准。     

A study of A2/O process in El-Berka WWTP by replacing the anaerobic selector with UASB and adopting a hybrid system in the oxic zone

ABSTRACT

A multistage system comprising an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) followed by anoxic unit and then oxic activated sludge (AS) with biofilm is studied in El-Berka WWTP, Egypt. Different organic loading wastewaters of chemical oxygen demand (COD) less than 500 mg/L till 3000 mg/L are tested during the study. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) varies for each loading from 7.5 to 10 to 15 h. The UASB reactor accomplishes the removal efficiency of 50%–70% of influent COD. The overall system performs the removal efficiency of 95% of influent COD and NH₄-N. Also, the results are verified by a modified mathematical model.     

船用一体化生物活性炭装置反冲洗技术条件优化

反冲洗是保证生物活性炭装置正常运行的重要因素。以船用污水深度处理装置一体化生物活性炭为研究对象,探究反冲洗对于装置污染物去除能力恢复的影响,得出了装置恢复时间;选取9种反冲洗条件,考察装置反洗后8 h后,装置污染物去除能力的变化。结果表明:污染物去除率随着反冲洗时间推移先降低后逐步升高,8 h后趋于稳定,此时COD去除率为60%,氨氮去除率为10%。对比不同反冲洗条件下对于装置性能的影响分析,反洗强度控制在5.0 L/(m2·s),反洗时间为7 min时为较优反冲洗条件,COD去除率达到79.8%,氨氮去除率为5.3%。     

The Antimicrobial Peptide Temporin G: Anti-Biofilm,Anti-Persister Activities,and Potentiator Effect of Tobramycin Efficacy Against Staphylococcus aureus

Bacterial biofilms are a serious threat for human health, and the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is one of the microorganisms that can easily switch from a planktonic to a sessile lifestyle, providing protection from a large variety of adverse environmental conditions. Dormant non-dividing cells with low metabolic activity, named persisters, are tolerant to antibiotic treatment and are the principal cause of recalcitrant and resistant infections, including skin infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) hold promise as new anti-infective agents to treat such infections. Here for the first time, we investigated the activity of the frog-skin AMP temporin G (TG) against preformed S. aureus biofilm including persisters, as well as its efficacy in combination with tobramycin, in inhibiting S. aureus growth. TG was found to provoke ~50 to 100% reduction of biofilm viability in the concentration range from 12.5 to 100 µM vs ATCC and clinical isolates and to be active against persister cells (about 70–80% killing at 50–100 µM). Notably, sub-inhibitory concentrations of TG in combination with tobramycin were able to significantly reduce S. aureus growth, potentiating the antibiotic power. No critical cytotoxicity was detected when TG was tested in vitro up to 100 µM against human keratinocytes, confirming its safety profile for the development of a new potential anti-infective drug, especially for treatment of bacterial skin infections.     

含铜废水预处理设施脱氮升级改造工程

为了减轻太湖保护区范围内企业处理废水的负担,苏州白荡污水处理厂利用其含铜废水预处理设施的富余处理能力处理某公司产生的含氮废水。针对含氮废水高NO3^--N和低碳氮比等特点,在充分利用原处理设施的基础上,采用"A/O+固定床生物膜工艺+高效脱氮填料+乙酸钠碳源+内回流"组合工艺对含铜废水预处理设施进行脱氮升级改造。改造后实际运行结果表明,设施运行稳定,出水水质达到出水水质达到设计出水要求,TN和NH4^+-N的去除率分别达到85.4%和82.3%,Cu的去除率提高了17.6%。     

培养条件及表面活性剂的添加对纳豆芽孢杆菌生物膜形成的影响

采用改良的微孔板法培养纳豆芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis natto),通过结晶紫染色定量分析产生的生物膜。结果表明:培养条件为pH 7、温度37℃、培养72 h且在5 g/100 mL葡萄糖-5 g/100 mL NaCl条件下成膜能力最佳。柠檬酸二铵和聚乙二醇-200(polyethylene glycol-200,PEG-200)随着质量浓度的增加对生物膜的形成量呈现先下降后上升的趋势,十二烷基磺酸钠(sodium dodecyl sulfate,SDS)抑制生物膜的形成,十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide,CTAB)促进生物膜的形成。所以低温抑制生物膜的形成,一定浓度的NaCl和葡萄糖促进生物膜形成,不同的表面活性剂对其生物膜的影响机制不同,为纳豆芽孢杆菌生物膜的研究提供理论基础。     

Molecular dynamics simulations of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma with poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine

Cold atmospheric plasma shows a satisfactory ability to inactivate bacterial biofilms that are difficult to remove using conventional methods in some cases. However, the researches on the inactivation mechanism are not quite sufficient. Poly-β-1–6-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG), which is one of the important components in some biofilms, was used as the research subject, and the related mechanism of action triggered by different concentrations of the OH in plasma was studied using reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that OH radicals could not only trigger the hydrogen abstraction reaction leading to cleavage of the PNAG molecular structure, but undergo an OH addition reaction with PNAG molecules. New reaction pathways appeared in the simulations as the OH concentration increased, but the reaction efficiency first increased and then decreased. The simulation study in this paper could, to some extent, help elucidate the microscopic mechanism of the interaction between OH radicals in plasma and bacterial biofilms at the atomic level.     

5-Benzylidene-4-Oxazolidinones Are Synergistic with Antibiotics for the Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms

The failure of frontline antibiotics in the clinic is one of the most serious threats to human health and requires a multitude of novel therapeutics and innovative approaches to treatment so as to curtail the growing crisis. In addition to traditional resistance mechanisms resulting in the lack of efficacy of many antibiotics, most chronic and recurring infections are further made tolerant to antibiotic action by the presence of biofilms. Herein, we report an expanded set of 5-benzylidene-4-oxazolidinones that are able to inhibit the formation of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms, disperse preformed biofilms, and, in combination with common antibiotics, are able to significantly reduce the bacterial load in a robust collagen-matrix model of biofilm infection.