Biofilms are formed by many bacteria, some that are harmful and some that are not. These films are slimy coatings that protect bacteria against antibiotics, our immune systems, cleaning agents, and other environmental dangers. In hospitals, biofilms that form inside catheters or around implanted medical devices can lead to infections, especially from Staphylococcus aureus.
Researchers at Princeton University were able to observe how biofilms form within small tubes such as catheters. Typically, biofilms build up into thick layers on surfaces. In flowing liquids, biofilms for string-like filaments that float within the fluid. The researchers were first able to observe filament formation in a solution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Filaments formed by P. aeruginosa took around 50 hours to clog the tubing. When researchers repeated the experiment with S. aureus, the tubes clogged within a few hours. They then coated the tubes with plasma to imitate how the organism would act within an intravenous catheter. These tubes were clogged in a few minutes.
Howard Stone, a Princeton researcher, says he is unsure how the organism is able to form these filaments so quickly, but the knowledge will assist with designing medicals tools and devices that are more resistant to colonization. Stone also pointed out that the concentrations of bacteria used in the experiments was much higher than those typically found inside medical devices. Breaking up the biofilms and preventing them from forming could be the next step in treatment of these organisms.
Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/06/27/325502998/sticky-streamers-of-staph-bacteria-may-clog-up-medical-devices
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