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.     

Development and simulation studies of an unsteady state biofilter model for the treatment of cyclic air emissions of an α‐pinene gas stream

This paper describes the development and simulation of an unsteady state biofilter model used to predict dynamic behaviour of cyclically‐operated biofilters and compares it with experimental results obtained from three, parallel, bench‐scale biofilters treating both periodically fluctuating concentrations and constant concentrations of an α‐pinene‐laden gas stream. The dynamic model, using kinetic parameters estimated from the constant concentration biofilter, was able to predict the performance of cyclic biofilters operating at short cycle periods (ie, in the order of minutes and hours). Steady state kinetic data from a constant concentration biofilter can be used to predict unsteady state biofilter operation. At a 24 h cycle period, the dynamic model compared well with experimental results. For long cycle periods (ie, hours and days), removal efficiency decreased after periods of non‐loading: the longer the period of non‐loading, the poorer the biofilter's performance at the re‐commencement of pollutant loading. At longer time scales the model did not effectively predict transient behaviour, as adsorption and changes in kinetic parameters were not accounted for. Modelling results showed that similar biofiltration performance for the cyclic and constant concentration biofiltration of α‐pinene is expected for biofilters operating solely in the first order kinetics regime. Poorer performance for cyclic biofilters following Monod kinetics spanning the entire kinetics range is expected as the cycle amplitude increases. The most important parameters affecting the performance of a cyclically‐operated biofilter with short cycle periods are: amplitude of cyclic fluctuations, C_{g, max}/C_g, relative value of the half‐saturation constant in the Monod expression, K_s, and effective diffusivity of α‐pinene in the biofilm, D_e. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microstructured Lipid Carriers (MLC) Based on N-Acetylcysteine and Chitosan Preventing Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm

The aim of this work was the development of microstructured lipid carriers (MLC) based on chitosan (CH) and containing N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a mucolytic and antioxidant agent, to inhibit the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm. MLC were prepared using the high shear homogenization technique. The MLC were characterized for morphology, particle size, Z potential, encapsulation efficiency and drug release. The antioxidant properties of NAC-loaded microstructured carriers were evaluated through an in vitro spectrophotometer assay. Finally, the activity of NAC-CH-MLC on biofilm production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was also evaluated. Results obtained from this study highlighted that the use of chitosan into the inner aqueous phase permitted to obtain microstructured particles with a narrow size range and with good encapsulation efficiency. NAC-loaded MLC showed higher antioxidant activity than the free molecule, demonstrating how encapsulation increases the antioxidant effect of the molecule. Furthermore, the reduction of biofilm growth resulted extremely high with MLC being 64.74% ± 6.2% and 83.74% ± 9.95%, respectively, at 0.5 mg/mL and 2 mg/mL. In conclusion, this work represents a favorable technological strategy against diseases in which bacterial biofilm is relevant, such as cystic fibrosis.     

Effect of Polyhexamethylene Biguanide in Combination with Undecylenamidopropyl Betaine or PslG on Biofilm Clearance

Hospital-acquired infection is a great challenge for clinical treatment due to pathogens’ biofilm formation and their antibiotic resistance. Here, we investigate the effect of antiseptic agent polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and undecylenamidopropyl betaine (UB) against biofilms of four pathogens that are often found in hospitals, including Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, and pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans. We show that 0.02% PHMB, which is 10-fold lower than the concentration of commercial products, has a strong inhibitory effect on the growth, initial attachment, and biofilm formation of all tested pathogens. PHMB can also disrupt the preformed biofilms of these pathogens. In contrast, 0.1% UB exhibits a mild inhibitory effect on biofilm formation of the four pathogens. This concentration inhibits the growth of S. aureus and C. albicans yet has no growth effect on P. aeruginosa or E. coli. UB only slightly enhances the anti-biofilm efficacy of PHMB on P. aeruginosa biofilms. However, pretreatment with PslG, a glycosyl hydrolase that can efficiently inhibit and disrupt P. aeruginosa biofilm, highly enhances the clearance effect of PHMB on P. aeruginosa biofilms. Meanwhile, PslG can also disassemble the preformed biofilms of the other three pathogens within 30 min to a similar extent as UB treatment for 24 h.     

Potential of microbial growth control in water hydraulic systems by UV‐irradiation and filtration

Water hydraulic systems use water as a pressure medium and, thus, do not pose such adverse environmental impacts as oil hydraulics. Microbial deterioration of the pressure medium and biofouling of the surfaces restrict the applicability of the water‐based technology. The potential of microbial growth control by UV‐irradiation and filtration was studied in a pilot‐scale water hydraulic system. The UV‐irradiation (25 m Ws cm^?2) of the pressure medium reduced the total viable counts of bacteria by 1–2 log₁₀ cfu cm^?3, whereas the total microbial cell numbers and the numbers of surface‐attached microorganisms remained unaffected. Prefiltration (1.2 µm, absolute) of the pressure medium decreased the total microbial cell number in the water phase and retarded the attachment of bacteria. The filtration during the operation (2 µm, absolute) decreased the total numbers of microbial cells and the total viable counts in the pressure medium, and microbial attachment on the surfaces. Microbial attachment was not prevented by filtration. The microbial water quality obtained by pre‐ and on‐line filtration of the pressure medium was sufficient to ensure the long‐term operation of the water hydraulic system assuming that clean work practices are complied with in assembly and during the operation. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Experimental and theoretical study of membrane-aerated biofilm reactor behavior under different modes of oxygen supply for the treatment of synthetic wastewater

This study compares, experimentally and theoretically, five different modes of supplying oxygen to a membrane-aerated biofilm reactor (MABR), and search for the more efficient ways of treating wastewaters. A single-tube MABR was used to measure the decrease of an organic substrate (sodium acetate) in water by supplying oxygen in different modes, namely: (1) by feeding the membrane tube either with oxygen or air (or none of them); (2) in some cases by simultaneous sparging air to the residual water. The dynamics of the substrate and oxygen consumption were measured during the batch experiment, and two mathematical models are developed to predict their transient responses using a Monod kinetic with dual substrate limitation. The models predict biomass growth and the production of extracellular polymer substances (EPS), which in turn causes the biofilm to grow; they account for the counter-diffusion of substrate and oxygen within the EPS structure that contains the cells, and one of them incorporates the mass transport by convection and diffusion in the surrounding liquid contained inside the interconnected pores and channels within the biofilm. Transport and kinetic parameters are estimated from experiments, and both models successfully predict concentration measurements in some of the set of experiments. It was found that all of the modes of oxygen supplied in a MABR were more efficient than the traditional suspended cell process.     

不同时期排泥对培养SBBR生物膜的影响

序批式生物膜反应器（sequencing biofilm batch reactor, SBBR）是应用广泛的污水处理方法。为探究不同时期排泥对SBBR污染物去除效果与微生物群落结构的影响，本研究设置了挂膜初期、中期和后期进行排泥的反应器处理生活污水，同时结合16S rDNA高通量测序技术对微生物群落结构进行分析，并采用机器学习（machine learning, ML）的方法，在传统的微生物优势种分析基础上，对测序数据进行深度挖掘，寻找造成组间差异的关键物种。水质测定结果显示，COD去除效果在不同时期排泥的SBBR间没有明显差异，出水COD均低于30mg/L。挂膜中期排泥的SBBR的NH₃-N去除率先达到稳定且高于前期和后期排泥的系统。高通量测序结果显示，各SBBR中微生物优势种均以降解有机物的物种为主。挂膜中期排泥的SBBR中，ML筛选得到的NH₃-N去除相关物种（Hydrogenophaga、Gemmata和Nitrospira）与差异关键物种丰度更高，微生物群落结构稳定性更强，可从微生物层面解释分析SBBR污染物去除效果的差异。     

介体型水质BOD生物电化学传感器研究进展

生物化学需氧量(BOD)是目前国际上用来衡量水质有机物污染的重要指标之一。由于水体中氧的溶解度非常低,以电子媒介体代替溶解氧为电子受体的介体型BOD生物电化学传感器以其快速、准确、稳定等优点得到了较快的发展。论述了介体型水质BOD生物电化学传感器的发展现状及研究动态,重点讨论了介体型水质BOD生物电化学传感器的工作原理、构成及类型,分析了不同类型传感器的优缺点,并对其核心部分-微生物膜的制备方法做了比较详细的介绍。     

稻草强化生物膜浮床脱除工业尾水中氮素及COD的效果

工业污水处理厂排放的尾水中总氮含量偏高,容易引起地表水体的富营养化。为了提高尾水中总氮的去除效率,通过模拟稳定塘静态和动态试验,对比了不同稻草添加量(0,0.18,0.54 g/L)强化生物膜浮床脱除工业尾水中总氮(TN)的效果。静态试验结果表明:随着稻草量的增加,TN的去除率显著提高;10 d后,添加0(CK)、0.18 g/L(T1)和0.54 g/L(T2)稻草的尾水中,TN去除率分别为18%,40%,93%。动态试验结果显示,水力停留时间(HRT)为 4 d时,CK、T1和T2的平均TN去除率分别为10%,22%,49%,且3种情况下的进出水COD浓度无显著差异。这主要是由于稻草通过缓慢释放碳源为生物膜中异养反硝化细菌提供可利用的有机物。研究成果可为工业尾水深度处理脱氮技术提供参考。