CBE 2007 Annual Report

Growth & Activity: 2007 Annual Report

Want more information?

A list of the people pictured in this report’s CBE timeline can be found online under the 2007 heading at: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/AnnualReports/.

Special thanks go to Tracy Ellig for the NIH Wound Grant story on page 5, and to the many photographers who captured these images: especially to Rob Wilke, of Wilke Photographics; MSU News Service photographers; Elizabeth Brock, MSU COE; and numerous CBE photographers.

From the director: Phil Stewart

Twining through this year’s annual report of the Center for Biofilm Engineering is a timeline that chronicles the history of the CBE. Follow this path and you will see some of the many people—faculty and staff, students, research collaborators from around the world, and industrial representatives—who have contributed to the building of our center and the biofilm field. I think you will also discover a bit of whimsy that hints at the fun that has gone into making the CBE the special place it is today.

Revisiting our history from time to time is a valuable exercise for a few different reasons. It recalls and reinforces our corporate values, among which I would emphasize creativity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusiveness. A historical tour helps us appreciate that we are collectively building something much bigger than any one of us could accomplish alone. And remembering the achievements of our colleagues who preceded us motivates us to do our best today and tomorrow.

As a backdrop to the history of the CBE it is interesting to visualize the development of the biofilm field. One way to chart the increased activity in biofilm research is by tracking publications in the technical literature. The inset graph shows, by year, the number of papers indexing to the keyword biofilm(s) in two popular electronic databases. The dramatic increase reflects both expansion in the amount of biofilm-related research and growing acceptance and use of the term “biofilm.” These curves are reminiscent of the exponential growth of microorganisms in a batch culture. Applying the classical analysis of microbial growth to these data indicates a doubling time of 3 to 5 years. If you work in this field, whether here in Bozeman or elsewhere, you can take satisfaction in being in the right place at the right time.

The biofilm story begins here. Turn the pages to follow the time trail forward.

(Note: The timeline of CBE milestones is listed below.)

RESEARCH

CBE researchers brought in $4.3 million in new grant activity in the past year, a record harvest. The funding comes from diverse sources including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the State of Montana, and the American Water Works Association Research Foundation. The projects address such varied topics as the role of biofilm in chronic wound infections, development of an electronic biofilm textbook, subsurface transport of uranium, corrosion in water distribution systems, stress-response pathways in metal-reducing bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacterial biofilms, and development of a rapid biofilm analysis test kit. In addition to these research contracts, thirty-eight private companies sponsored project work during the last year. Research is thriving at the CBE.

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Research Area Activities

Ten research areas supported by the CBE are summarized in the list below. This list encompasses those areas in which the CBE has significant, sustained activity.

Bioelectrochemistry

Microbially influenced corrosion, microbial fuel cells

Biofilm Control/Antimicrobials

Biofilm resistance mechanisms, effective use of antimicrobials, alternative control strategies

Bioremediation

Degradation, removal, or containment of contaminants in soil and groundwater

Bioterrorism

Persistence and detection of pathogens in drinking water distribution systems

Industrial & Drinking Water Treatment

Role of biofilms in water quality, corrosion, and use of biological pretreatment to improve water quality

Medical Biofilms

Role of biofilms in disease

Physiology & Ecology

Physiological activities of organisms and interactions between species

Souring

Control of bacterial hydrogen sulfide generation in petroleum production

Standardized Biofilm Methods

Development and dissemination of standardized methods for biofilm testing

Structure-Function

Relationship between biofilm structure, transport processes, rheology, and biological activity

Ranking biofilm publications

According to the ISI Web of Science database, Montana State University published the most biofilm-related papers in recent years. The top five institutions are listed below for years 2005 and 2004.

2005 Search Results

Montana State University
Harvard University
Technical University Denmark
University of Iowa
University of Southern California

2004 Search Results

Montana State University
Harvard University
University of Wisconsin
University of New South Wales
University of Texas

A CBE-authored paper topped the list of Biofouling’s top ten most downloaded articles in 2005:
Quantifying biofilm structure: Facts and fiction
Beyenal H, Lewandowski Z, Harkin G
Biofouling Feb 2004; 20(1):1-23


Thirty-six CBE peer-reviewed articles were published in the past year.

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Keck Biofilm Project

The W.M. Keck Foundation grant facilitated research on biofilm formation for 32 student fellows

In 2000 the W.M. Keck Foundation funded an $800,000 award to the Center for Biofilm Engineering to create a multidisciplinary team to study microbial biofilm formation as a developmental process. Over the 6-year life of the project, the award supported 14 graduate fellows and 18 undergraduate research fellows from 10 different academic departments.

The Keck Biofilm Project has resulted in the publication or submission of 32 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous technical poster presentations. Images generated by students on this project have appeared on the covers of Biophotonics, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, the Journal of Magnetic Resonance, Microbiology, and the Journal of Bacteriology.

A major goal of this project was to integrate physical, chemical, and biological approaches to obtain a holistic understanding of biofilm formation as a developmental process. The suite of experimental techniques was applied to the same biofilm system. The fruit of this approach is illustrated in the images, left, all collected from Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms grown in glass capillary tubes. These images point to the important role of transport phenomena in governing biological behavior in this system.

Project advisory board members who visited Bozeman to consult with the project team included Peter Greenberg, University of Washington; Roberto Kolter, Harvard Medical School; and Craig Criddle, Stanford University.

Quotes from W.M. Keck project students:

“I probably would not be doing research now without my experience working with other students and staff! Everybody was helpful, and that motivated me to learn new things and to have passion for what I am doing.” —Suriani Abdul Rani, Keck Fellow

“Working with an interdisciplinary team during my undergraduate research experience helped me to build solid communication skills. My ability to formulate questions improved and I gained confidence. My undergraduate research experience continues to benefit me today, three years later.”
—Amber Harrer Broadbent, Keck Fellow

Caption 4-1, for composite of six biofilm images:

A) Flow velocities of water around a biofilm cluster. B) Replicating cells (green) are located at the periphery of clusters (red). C) An antibiotic-sized red dye diffuses into a biofilm cell cluster. D) Some cell clusters (red) hollow out as they age (green shows fluid). E, F) The loss of green color at the edge of the cluster shows biocide action after 12 minutes.

NIH Chronic Wound Grant

“The ultimate goal is to heal people’s wounds, save their limbs and their lives.”     —Garth James, CBE Medical Projects Manager

Researchers at the CBE have embarked on a quest to find new ways to heal chronic wounds, thanks to a $2.9 million grant awarded in the fall of 2006 by the National Institutes of Health. The 4-year grant allows the CBE to fund undergraduate research, hire more doctoral-level researchers, and purchase equipment for its investigation into the role biofilms play in chronic wounds.

The incidence of chronic wounds in the United States has grown drastically. That trend is expected to continue with the steady increase in adult and child obesity. One-in-three Americans born in 2000 are expected to develop diabetes if current trends continue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For diabetics, chronic wounds contribute to a foot or lower-leg amputation rate 10 to 15 times higher than for non-diabetics. Eighty percent of diabetics who underwent amputation for chronic wounds died within five years, according to a Finnish study.

The CBE’s research into chronic wounds began two years ago after the center was contacted by Dr. Randy Wolcott, who heads the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center in Lubbock, Texas. With his clinic treating up to 100 patients daily, Wolcott suspected biofilms might play a role in his patients’ persistent wounds. Tissue samples analyzed by the CBE from Wolcott’s clinic revealed that 60 percent contained biofilms, compared with a mere 6 percent in acute wounds, such as cuts. The grant is in partnership with Wolcott, who offers an important clinical perspective, and the Division of Dermatology at the University of Washington’s Department of Medicine, which brings expertise in the biology of wound healing to the project.

Caption 5-1: These are the five key investigators in the Chronic Wound project. From left, photographed at a project meeting in Seattle in April 2007, are: Phil Fleckman, MD, and John Olerud, MD, UW School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Dermatology; Phil Stewart and Garth James, MSU-CBE. At far right is Randy Wolcott, MD, head of the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center.

Caption 5-2: Much of the data that was gathered to make this grant successful was the result of CBE undergraduate work by Pat Secor, a biochemistry student from Bozeman, and Ellen Swogger, a recent chemical engineering graduate from Miles City. Secor is now a PhD candidate at MSU, continuing biofilm studies; Swogger is pursuing a PhD at Oregon State University.

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Biofilms Go Underground

What are biofilms doing underground? In constructed wetlands they are working with plants to treat contaminated water. Civil Engineering professor Otto Stein has been researching constructed wetlands with primary funding from the US Department of Agriculture. Constructed wetlands typically consist of gravel beds planted with water-tolerant plants. Wastewater flowing though narrow underground channels between rocks and roots promotes a variety of biogeochemical transformations that clean the water as it passes through. Relatively inexpensive to construct and operate, these wetlands also provide wildlife habitat and attractive landscapes.

The workhorses of constructed wetlands systems are microbial biofilms that grow in the underground rhizosphere. While rock surfaces harbor mostly anaerobic biofilms, plant roots can provide enough oxygen to support aerobic biofilms and organic carbon to drive biological reactions. The ultimate goal of Stein’s team is to develop operational guidelines that encourage growth of specific biofilm communities able to optimize performance for specific treatment objectives.

Caption 6-1: Environmental Engineering masters student Rickey Schultz (front), high school student Blake Wambold from the Blackfeet Reservation, and Otto Stein sample one of the constructed wetland systems.

New Faculty

Three more CBE-affiliated researchers have been appointed to tenure track positions at MSU

Matthew Fields joined the CBE and Department of Microbiology as an Assistant Professor in January, 2007. He came to MSU from Miami University, where he was a faculty member. He earned a PhD in microbiology with a minor in biochemistry and biological engineering from Cornell University in 2001. Matthew’s areas of specialty are bacterial physiology, microbial ecology, bacterial genomics, and environmental microbiology. His research areas include bioremediation, polysaccharide degradation, and bio-energy. His office and laboratory are located in the CBE and his group has integrated quickly into the CBE environment.

Sarah Codd, co-director of the Magnetic Resonance Microscopy (MRM) laboratory and a CBE collaborator since 2002, was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Sarah has developed techniques for using MRM to image biofilms non-invasively, to map patterns of fluid flow around biofilms, and to probe the molecular dynamics of their extracellular polymers. See page 15 for information about the NSF Career Award that Sarah received during the past year.

Robin Gerlach joined the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering as an Associate Professor. Robin has been involved with the CBE since coming to MSU as a graduate student to study environmental engineering in 1996. His research focuses on using biofilms for the bioremediation of contaminated soils and water, but it also extends to biotechnology applications and fundamental issues of biofilms in porous media. Robin currently has research funding from the Army, the Department of Energy, and MSU’s Thermal Biology Institute.

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EDUCATION

CBE students acquire valuable experience by designing and performing research that crosses traditional academic boundaries and has direct impact on current environmental, industrial, and medical issues. Students are encouraged to develop investigatory and professional skills by working with other CBE students, staff, and faculty and by interacting with industrial representatives.

During the past year, 47 graduate students from 9 departments were working on CBE biofilm projects (19 MS and 28 PhD candidates). There were 33 undergraduates representing 10 departments performing research at the Center. Participation in both programs remains gender-balanced, with 20 female/27 male graduate students, and 15 female/18 male undergraduates. Tables with the student distributions by department and gender appear on the following pages. The CBE’s 34 associated faculty members represent ten departments on the MSU campus.

“I gave a presentation at the National Conference for Undergraduate Research in San Francisco this spring. Robin Gerlach helped me condense nearly two years of research into a 15-minute presentation. He gave me useful insight into preparing an audience-oriented presentation.”
—Logan Schultz, undergraduate, Chemical & Biological Engineering

Caption 7-1: Erin Field, PhD candidate in Microbiology, studies microbial remediation processes for soils at Department of Energy low level waste sites.

Caption 7-2: Time-lapse confocal images by Ben Klayman, PhD, Environmental Engineering, show exponential accumulation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm in a capillary flow cell. The two labeled sub-populations (cyan and yellow) are identical strains and are used here to enable tracking of individual pockets of cells. Viewed from the bulk fluid (top row), individual clusters are seen rising from the background carpet of cells attached to the glass surface. The same series viewed through the glass (bottom row) reveals that the large cyan cluster was hollowed out.
Graduate Students

CBE graduate education extends beyond traditional classroom and laboratory work. The CBE’s Industrial Associates program brings students into working relationships with potential employers. Graduate students are also encouraged to present their work at research conferences, to mentor undergraduate students, and to assist with outreach efforts of the CBE.

Organizers of the weekly Seminar Series in 2006–07 included four graduate students: Laura Jennings, Erin Field, Jennifer Faulwetter, and Mike VanEngelen, and postdoctoral researcher Lynne Leach.

The MSU undergraduate class “Microbes in the Environment” was enthusiastically and creatively team-taught in the fall of 2006 by CBE graduate students: Laura Jennings, Intro to Microbiology; Ben Klayman, Environmental Microbiology; Willy Davison, Medical Microbiology; and Stewart Clark, Industrial/Food Microbiology.

Graduate students active in academic year 2006–07

 

Discipline	MS/PhD	Male	Female
Chemical & Biological Engineering
6	MS	2	4
11	PhD	8	3
Chemistry & Biochemistry
1	MS	1
1	PhD	1
Civil / Environmental Engineering
6	MS	5	1
3	PhD	2	1
Computer Science
2	MS	2
1	PhD	1
Geology
1	MS		1
Land Resources & Environmental Sciences
1	PhD	1
Mathematics
1	PhD		1
Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
1	MS	1
Microbiology
2	MS		2
10	PhD	3	7
TOTAL:  47		Male: 27	Female: 20

Graduate Women in
Engineering, 2006
Nationally: 21%
CBE: 43%

Caption 8-1: Microbiology PhD candidate Stewart Clark, pictured here with his advisor, Anne Camper, received the 2007 W.G. Characklis Award.

Caption 8-2: Seminar series organizer Laura Jennings, with presenter Mary Cloninger, MSU Associate Professor in Chemistry & Biochemistry.

Caption 8-3: Seminar attendees, from left, Melinda Clark, Anitha Sundararajan, and Chiachi Hwang are graduate students in the new Physiology & Ecology research area.

Caption 8-4: Seminar attendees, from left, Melinda Clark, Anitha Sundararajan, and Chiachi Hwang are graduate students in the new Physiology & Ecology research area.

Undergraduate Students

The MSU Undergraduate Scholars Program (USP) is designed to encourage, facilitate, and support undergraduate research collaborations with faculty in all disciplines. The MSU USP students listed below have been working on biofilm-related projects with CBE-associated faculty members.

Student: Sara Nelson, Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Mohiuddin Taimur Khan, CBE
Project: Immobilized chitosan-coated beads for biogrowth control and water purification

Student: Hans Bernstein, Chemical & Biological Eng.
Mentor: Garth James, CBE
Project: Molecular community analysis of dental biofilms

Student: Katie Hoyt, Chemical & Biological Eng.
Mentor: Sarah Codd, Mechanical & Industrial Eng.
Project: Demonstration of novel MRI contrast techniques for use on biofilms

Student: Saba Alniemi, Biomedical Sciences
Mentor: Garth James, CBE
Project: Bacteriophage interaction with Staphylococcus aureus biofilm

Student: Sarah Mullowney, Biochemistry
Mentor: Brent Peyton, Chemical & Biological Eng.
Project: Enzymatic capabilities of Yellowstone thermophiles

Student: Mital Patel, Biotechnology
Mentor: Barry Pyle, Microbiology
Project: Household water biofilms

Student: Logan Schultz, Chemical & Biological Eng.
Mentor: Robin Gerlach, Chemical & Biological Eng.
Project: Effects of bacterial biofilms on porous media hydrodynamics

Katie Hoyt, a senior in Chemical & Biological Engineering, was awarded a Morris Udall Native American congressional internship to Washington, DC for the summer of 2007. Katie has been funded by an INBRE Undergraduate scholarship to work in the CBE on research with Peter Suci, Sarah Codd, and Phil Stewart.

Saba Alniemi, Biomedical Sciences undergraduate, received one of 42 MSU Awards for Excellence in the spring of 2007. Saba is working on a project in the CBE’s Medical Biofilm Laboratory to examine the effects of bacteriophage on Staphylococcus aureus biofilms.


“Ben Klayman is my mentor and friend and has made me feel like we are part of a team and the work we do is ours together.” —Paul Volden, undergraduate, Biomedical Science

Table of active undergraduate student researchers in the academic year 2006–07

 

Discipline	Male	Female	TOTAL
Business	1		1
Cell Biology & Neuroscience	2	5	7
Chemistry/Biochemistry	1		1
Chemical & Biological Engineering	11	4	15
Civil Engineering	1	1	2
Electrical Engineering	1		1
Land Resources & Environmental Sciences		1	1
Mechanical Engineering	1		1
Microbiology		3	3
Nursing		1	1
TOTAL	18	15	33

Undergraduate Women in
Engineering, 2006
Nationally: 21%
CBE: 45%

Caption 9-1: Civil Engineering undergraduate Shannon Goeres conducts research to determine the efficacy of an antimicrobial-treated pipe material against biofilm formation.

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TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

The CBE’s Industrial Associates

3M
American Air Liquide, Inc.
Aramco Services Company
Bausch & Lomb
Bridge PreClinical Testing Services
Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Colgate-Palmolive
ConvaTec
Dow Chemical Company
DuPont
Ecolab, Inc.
Embro Corporation
enturia, Inc.
GlaxoSmithKline
Masco
Mölnlycke Health Care
NASA
NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Novozymes A/S
Procter & Gamble
Reckitt Benckiser
Sandia National Laboratories
Tyco Healthcare
Unilever
W.L. Gore & Associates
Whirlpool Corporation

A Year of Records

Whether you’re counting attendance at our Technical Advisory Conference, industrial project sponsorship, or new Industrial Associate membership, the past year was a year of records. With over 70 attendees at both the summer 2006 and winter 2007 meetings, the CBE is reaching out to both existing members and prospective members as never before. These efforts were successful in recruiting ten new full CBE members. 3M, Bausch & Lomb, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, ConvaTec, enturia, Inc., Mölnlycke Health Care, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Sandia National Laboratories, and Whirlpool have joined as full Industrial Associate members. In addition, as of March 2007 the CBE instituted a new policy for inclusion of small businesses in the industrial program. Two small business members—Bridge Preclinical Testing Services and Embro Corporation—have joined since the Industrial Associate representatives voted to approve this new category.

A Year of Outreach

To the regulatory community…

In response to the needs of industry and the regulatory community for sound, unbiased methods for the assessment of biofilm, the CBE has spearheaded the organization of the Biofilm Methods Advisory Committee (BMAC). The committee is comprised of representatives from EPA, FDA, industry, and academia. The aim of this committee is to provide a platform to share information and technologies necessary for the development, evaluation, validation, and implementation of test methods to measure the performance of antimicrobial products against biofilm. The BMAC had its inaugural meeting at the February 2007 Technical Advisory Conference (TAC) and will meet twice annually.

To Montana companies…

Whether it’s making products to grow biofilms, kill them, or use them beneficially, the CBE is always eager to help Montana businesses. BioSurface Technologies (BST) of Bozeman, MT, has built a business around providing the laboratory biofilm reactors that literally set the standards of the industry. BST reactors are licensed from CBE/MSU and sold worldwide. With help from the State of Montana Board of Commercialization and Technology, BST and the CBE are currently collaborating on a joint project to develop a standard method to assess biofilm accumulation in the drip flow reactor. This will be the third such joint method development with BST. Another Montana company involved with the CBE is BioScience Laboratories, Bozeman, MT, which develops and conducts efficacy tests for many household products that target biofilm. The CBE makes a special membership offer to Montana small businesses that allows participation in the Industrial Program at no additional expense. Over a dozen Montana small businesses have taken advantage of this offer.

To Small Businesses…

The CBE now offers special membership to businesses that qualify as small businesses by the US Government definition. Two companies have already taken advantage of this new membership opportunity, and we expect to see more growth in this area in the coming months.

A Year of Growth

One of the CBE’s largest growth areas has been in sponsored project research and testing. The CBE’s Medical Biofilm Laboratory and Standard Methods Laboratory have completed project work worth approximately $500,000. This activity demonstrates that the CBE is increasingly seen as a resource for new technology development and testing as well as a biofilm information hub. We anticipate that this trend will continue with further advances in the study of wound biofilms and standard method development in the coming years.

More information about the CBE’s industry program can be found on our web site at:
www.biofilm.montana.edu/Ind-Col99-SW/

 

Caption 10-1: Paul Sturman, Industry Coordinator, talks with Tasha Blackburn and Marcus Rindal of the EPA during a conference break.

Invited speakers provided their unique perspectives on biofilm issues:
Caption 11-1: Amy Wong, Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Caption 11-2: Buddy Ratner, Director, UWEB, University of Washington
Caption 11-3: Chiu Lin, Division Director, FDA
Caption 11-4: Alex Rickard, Asst. Prof., Binghamton University, New York

Caption 11-5: Bryan Warwood, at left, of Biosurface Technologies Corporation, meets with interested company
representatives at the CBE’s semi-annual Technical Advisory Conferences.

CBE Member Company Interests

agrichemicals, oilfield chemicals, solvent cleaners,

paper chemicals, biocides, medical supplies and devices,

contact lenses, petroleum, mining, oil & gas production,

pool & spa water quality, home cleaning products,

disinfectants, toothpaste, laundry products, lens care solutions,

hand cleaners, orthopaedic implant devices,

adhesives & sealants, paper manufacturing, chemical processing,

food processing, pharmaceuticals, water quality,

medical fabrics, antimicrobial surfaces, electricity production & research,

dialysis care products, cardiopulmonary care products,

biomaterials, household & industrial enzymes,

genomic-based drug discovery, medical instruments, membrane technologies,

waste recycling, biofouling control, soil & groundwater remediation,

water quality, gastrointestinal therapeutics,

mine waste treatment, biological barriers, water & soil analysis,

sensors & control systems, toothbrush design, solvents,

surfactants, cosmetics, filtration systems, space vehicle air & water systems safety, mouthwash, reverse osmosis systems, restaurant & industrial cleaning systems,

food & beverage safety, industrial & medical gases, personal care products,

surgical products, wound care products, mold control,

sensors for bioagent targets, coating technologies


Caption 12-1: Phil Stewart met with representatives of Colgate-Palmolive and staff member Audrey Corbin at the February 2007 Technical Advisory Conference.

Caption 12-2: Biofilm methods workshops are offered in conjunction with each Technical Advisory Conference.

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OUTREACH

‘Chile’ Reception for a Workshop

The CBE’s Anne Camper, Ben Klayman, and Andreas Nocker helped teach a workshop titled “Biotechnology of Plant-Associated Microbes: Practical Applications for Agricultural, Forestry, Food, and Environmental Sciences,” at the University of Concepción, Chile, January 8–19, 2007. The workshop was organized by former CBE visitors (all kneeling) Cindy Morris, Homero Urrutia Briones, and Kathy Sossa. The entire workshop group is pictured at right.

Subsurface Biotechnology & Bioremediation Symposium and Workshop

Faculty, researchers, and students from all Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA) institutions were invited to attend the first INRA-sponsored Symposium and Workshop, hosted by the Center for Biofilm Engineering June 22–23, 2006. The symposium overlapped with the last day of the CBE’s Technical Advisory Conference and was followed by a one-day workshop. INRA is a coalition of eight universities working on collaborative research and education programs. Steve Billingsley, Executive Director of INRA, is headquartered in Idaho Falls.

Teach your children well

Students, staff, and faculty are active in cultivating interest in biofilms among the youngsters who may become the next generation of biofilm researchers. Phil Stewart continued his annual visits to a Bozeman grade school to introduce 5th graders to microbial biofilms. Other outreach events included the Biofilm Workshop Extravaganza, above: 17 Helena middle-school students arrived at the CBE on February 23, 2007, to experience biofilm first-hand. Their participation was enhanced by solving problems that several CBE graduate students presented to them.

Internet Outreach

The CBE’s web-posted Image Library generated image use requests from 24 US states and 18 countries besides the US. Most requesters are professors looking for material to add to their classroom presentations and graduate students preparing theses.

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NOTEWORTHY

More about grants

National Institutes of Health
CBE Principal Investigator: Peter Suci
Title: Mobilization of Candida albicans biofilms
Award: $348,144 for 2 years
Collaborator: Dr. Andre Nantel, Biotechnology Research Institute, Montreal, Canada


Department of Energy
CBE Principal Investigators: Robin Gerlach and Brent Peyton
Title: Mobility of source zone heavy metals and radionuclides: The mixed roles of fermentative activity on fate and transport of uranium and chromium
Award: $352,150 for 21 months

CBE Principal Investigators: Joe Seymour and Sarah Codd
Title: Mechanistically based field-scale models of uranium biogeochemistry from upscaling pore-scale experiments and models
Award: $348,460 for 3 years
Collaborators: Timothy D. Scheibe, PNNL, and Brian D. Wood, Oregon State University, who will receive similar amounts.

National Science Foundation
CBE Principal Investigator: Brent Peyton
Title: Biogeochemical cycling of heavy metals in Lake Coeur d’Alene
sediments: The role of indigenous microbial communities
Award: $873,000 for 3 years
Collaborators: Timothy Ginn, University of California, Davis; Rajesh Sani, Washington State University

NSF grant will extend CBE’s educational outreach

The National Science Foundation awarded Montana State University’s Center for Biofilm Engineering a $498,270 grant to develop a web-based undergraduate teaching and active-learning resource about biofilms. Biofilms: The Hypertextbook is a teaching and learning resource developed using Web technologies that will be disseminated on DVD media. In addition to standard textual presentations of a subject, the hypertextbook incorporates high resolution images, slide shows, videos, audio, and active learning models of important processes that require student interaction—all interwoven into a seamless presentation. CBE Principal Investigators Al Cunningham and Rocky Ross are collaborating with John Lennox, Professor Emeritus, Microbiology, Penn State, Altoona; and Virginia Anderson, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Towson University, Towson, Maryland.

American Society for Microbiology: Biofilms 2007 Conference

The CBE and MSU were well represented at the most recent ASM Biofilms Conference, held in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, in March 2007. CBE Director Phil Stewart co-chaired the session Prevention and Treatment of Biofilms and presented “Visualizing killing in biofilms.” Garth James, an invited speaker, presented “Biofilms in chronic wounds.” Twenty-two MSU-CBE research posters were accepted for presentation, making the CBE the single most broadly represented research organization at the conference.

In the media

The L.A. Times published an article June 11, 2007, that quoted Phil Stewart and featured an SEM image taken by former CBE undergraduate student Ellen Swogger. The story by Erin Cline was titled “Biofilms—slimy layers of bacteria that antibiotics don’t fully kill—are found in hospitals, kitchens, even your mouth. Scientists are on the attack.”

CBE Director Phil Stewart was interviewed and several CBE images were used in the October 23, 2006 issue of the weekly ACS publication Chemical and Engineering News. CBE stereo microscope images appeared in the C&EN cover story “Bacterial Conversations.” This issue of C&EN also featured a cover image from a CBE Bioglyphs project.

Science Daily, Forbes.com, and the Voice of America all picked up on a press release from the American Chemical Society which covered Phil Stewart’s invited presentation “Anti-biofilm properties of chitosan-coated surfaces,” at the American Chemical Society 232nd National Meeting & Exposition in San Francisco, California, September 10–14, 2006.

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New CBE staff

Alessandra Agostinho, Research Scientist

Thamir Al-Niemi, Research Scientist

John Baker, Computer & Network Administrator
 

Wes Bauman, Research Associate

Laura Boegli, Research Associate

Howard Christiansen, Research Scientist

Audrey Corbin, Research Associate

Frances Goosey, CS Research Scientist & Hypertextbook Project Programmer

Brenda Grau, Postdoctoral Researcher

Kelly Kirker, Research Scientist

Lynne Leach, Postdoctoral Researcher

Lindsey Lorenz, Research Assistant

Smita Sutrave, Research Assistant

Diane Walker, Research Engineer

Visiting scholars and researchers

Abdoulaye Camara, Bamako, Mali

Audrey Corbin, Lyon, France

Christoph Fux, MD, Bern, Switzerland

Gerald Gaspar, Chicago, Illinois

Christopher Groth, Riverside, New York

Elisa Korenblum, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

John Lennox, Altoona, Pennsylvania

Anna Lysova, Novosibirsk, Russia

Susana Sanchez-Gomez, Pamplona, Spain

Kathy Sossa, Concepción, Chile

Priscilla Sossa, Concepción, Chile

Shoji Takenaka, DDS, Niigata, Japan

Jeyong Yoon, Seoul, Korea

Ayrat Ziganshin, Tatarstan, Russia

Awards and Honors

Andreas Nocker and Mark Burr received the 2006 CBE Outstanding Researchers award at the Summer Technical Advisory Conference in June 2006. They were recognized for exemplifying the CBE’s ideals in teamwork—especially for their contributions in advising and assisting others, for their unwavering commitment to professionalism and excellence in research, and for the creativity and enthusiasm with which they approach all they do at the CBE.

Sarah Codd, Assistant Professor in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, won a prestigious $400,000 Career Award from the National Science Foundation for her work in magnetic resonance microscopy, a technique that allows researchers to see the inner workings of devices as small as one-tenth of a millimeter in size. Sarah Codd’s work assists research on fuel cells, medical catheters, and the cleanup of contaminated soil and water. The Career Award is NSF’s most prestigious award to support the early career development of teacher-scholars.

Garth James received the 2007 CBE Outstanding Faculty research award in recognition of his expanding sponsored research activity related to medical and dental biofilms, his exceptional service to industrial project sponsors, his thoughtful mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, and his active role in recruiting new member companies to the CBE.

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A List of Some CBE Milestones

(Note: Boldface type indicates inclusion of item in the printed version of the annual report.)

PRE-CENTER

1979      

Characklis joins MSU faculty

INSTITUTE  FOR  PROCESS  ANALYSIS

1980s    

Characklis starts the Institute for Biological & Chemical Process Analysis (IPA) and develops its industrial program (12 members)

Characklis and Marshall write first edition of “Biofilms”

NSF  CENTER  ESTABLISHED

1990      

NSF awards $7.5 million ERC grant (Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering)

Center moves into contiguous labs & offices; staff hired

1990-92 

Work begins on integrating Research / Education / Technology Transfer

Scale-up of projects from bench to field (Micro-, Meso-, Macroscale)

1991      

23 graduate students; 8 undergraduate students (per Year 1 annual report)

“Generic” biofilm accumulation computer model (BAM) with a biocide component

REU summer undergraduate program begins

Research initiatives in: Biofouling/Biocorrosion of Industrial Water Systems, Microbially

Induced Souring in Petroleum Formations, Bioremediation of Soil and Water Contaminated

with Petroleum Hydrocarbons

43 active research projects

Patent for Center-developed biofilm coupon

First cross-disciplinary biofilm courses offered

Symposium and research initiative on petroleum reservoir souring

DOW Chemical & Conoco supported grad student fellowships

Alpha Lab test-bed facility created (to test and demonstrate Center-developed methodologies and technologies)

Seminar series started

New Industrial Associates program established, with semi-annual Technical Advisory

Conferences

1992      

Rotating annular reactor developed (rototorque)

Full scale testbed facility established at Bozeman Municipal Water Treatment Plant

1^st Confocal Scanning Laser Microscope acquired ($234,000)

10 disciplines represented by undergrad and graduate students

Bill Characklis dies

CENTER GROWTH

1990-93 

4 biofilm engineering courses developed: 1 biofilm microbiology course developed

1992-93 

Effects of surface roughness on adhesion of cells / Initial attachment events

Pitting corrosion / SRB activity

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1993      

Bill Costerton joins CBE as director

Center name changed to “Center for Biofilm Engineering”

Microsensor Laboratory created

MSU agreement with BioSurface Technologies Corp., MT, to manufacture, market, and sell the Annular Reactor

AWWARF project funding for drinking water studies

Model of biofilm detachment

1994      

Microsensors design, development, measurement

Cryoembedding and cryosectioning methods developed to analyze biofilms

Research Thrust Areas: Surface Interactions; Structure-Function; Biofilm Control

Spatial physiological gradients identified in antimicrobial treatment

Confirmation of multiple biofilm heterogeneities, via microelectrodes, sensors, CSLM

Plans made for cellular automata modeling

Proof of water flow through channels in biofilm communities (CSLM time-lapse)

Use of microsensors in vapor phase bioremediation, for NJIT vapor phase model

Chlorine penetration into biofilm measured

1995      

Rotating disk reactor developed, progenitor of CDC reactor

Phenotypic differences identified between planktonic/sessile cells

Reaction-diffusion of antimicrobials quantified

Initial attachment events study switches from topography to surface chemistry

Cellular automata model tested with bacterial adsorption lab studies (2-D surface)

Bioremediation education workshops for EPA Regions VII & VIII, funded by HSRC

Biobarrier test bed developed with MSE, Inc., funded by DOE, student education opportunity

Sufide production in simple porous media systems successfully modeled

Cellular automata modeling for bacterial transport begun

24 Industrial Associate members

Adhesion to surface up-regulates genes in alginate synthesis pathways of P. aeruginosa

pBAM model developed (Szego, CBE)

1996      

ASM 1st conference on biofilms, Snowbird, Utah; Costerton, Organizing Committee Chair;

320 delegates from 14 countries

Science “Biofilms Invade Microbiology”

“Today the CBE is a haven of interdisciplinary work, with graduate students from 10 departments working in interdisciplnary teams. Engineering students clone genes, microbiologists construct mathematical models, and mathematicians learn biochemistry, all to solve real-world problems.”  Science, Vol. 273, Sept. 27, 1996

ASM News Education Feature: Costerton, Sears, Zelver

Biofilm viscoelasticity  recorded (CSLM time lapse) and measured

Demonstration that HSLs influence biofilm architecture; Cell-cell communication research area added

Conoco sponsors gasoline bioremediation course in Garrison, Montana

Biofilm Systems Training Laboratory (BSTL) created for students and industry visitors, visiting researchers

Software development to analyze biofilm structure-function from CSLM images

Pre-TAC Biofilm Methods workshops begin

Use of ‘artificial biofilms’ to test antimicrobial penetration and efficacy

Physiological tolerance to biocides demonstrated

Several computer models studied simultaneously to adapt them for multi-dimensional studies

1997      

CBE moves into new EPS building

New Leica TCS-NT CSLM and light microscopes ($400,000; NSF-ERC major equipment grant)

Drip flow reactor developed

1998      

Science article, Cell Signaling: Davies, Parsek, Pearson, Iglewski, Costerton, Greenberg

‘Bioavailability’ research area replaces ‘Surface Interactions’

Development of local density and local mass transport rate microsensors (intra-microcolony)

Model development to predict pressure drop in conduits colonized by biofilms

New research initiative in Biomineralization

New model developed integrating mechanisms of transport and physiological limitation

Physiological heterogeneity described by genetic expression

Study of cell signaling role in detachment

Respirometry equipment added to BSTL lab ($223,000; NSF-EEC grant)

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1999      

Review article appears in Science: Costerton & Stewart

Business Week “Science & Technology” references CBE in “Getting a grip on bacterial slime”

2000      

CBE co-hosts ASM Biofilms 2000 conference, Big Sky, MT

W.M. Keck Foundation awards $800k grant for students

First issue of BiofilmsOnline published

Rotating disk reactor design modified by CDC

New MSU “Microbes in the Environment” class offered by CBE faculty & staff

New Research Area in Standardized Biofilm Methods

Nature News Feature: “Slimebusters” covers CBE research

2001      

Scientific American article: Costerton, Stewart

Lancet article: Stewart

CBE ‘graduates’ from the NSF-ERC program grant

Microsensors / Structure-Function workshops initiated

CBE UG Laura Jennings receives Goldwater scholarship

Field-scale (100ft. x 20 ft.) demonstration of biobarriers to reduce ground water flow 3 orders of magnitude

Workshop for FDA and EPA regulators at summer Technical Advisory Conference

POST-NSF GRANT ACTIVITY

2002      

ASTM #E-2196-02; CBE rotating disk reactor standardized method approved

DoD grant for engineered biofilms to detect bioterrorist agents in drinking water systems

CBE workshops held at Danish Technical University (Denmark) and University of New South Wales (Australia)

CDC biofilm reactor designed

Extensive phenotypic changes in biofilm described

2003      

3^rd ASM Biofilms Conference in Victoria, BC

New confocal microscope, flow cytometer and image analysis facilities funded by Murdock Charitable Trust

Microscope Resource Room created, dedicated to microscope image analysis

Bioglyphs project selected as semifinalist in Science and NSF “Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge”

Biofilms studied using NMR microscopy for fluid flow patterns & diffusive properties of biofilm

CBE undergraduate Cory Rupp receives MSF Graduate Fellowship ($121,500)

2004      

Bill Costerton retires from MSU

REU program end year

CBE Medical Biofilm Laboratory established

Cover images: Journal of Magnetic Resonance (Gjersing) and Biophotonics (Harrer)

CBE team organizes IWA international Biofilms Conference, Las Vegas; Lewandowski

Pan-American Advanced Studies Institutes (PASI) workshops organized by CBE & University of Concepción, Chile

Physical Review Letters publishes 2 papers by CBE researchers

JMR cover and CBE article

Modeling antibiotic resistance in biofilms, accounting for nutrient limitation

2005      

Phil Stewart chosen to be CBE’s 3^rd director

DoD funds equipment for Mass Spectrometry Facility

CBE CDC biofilm reactor standardized method submitted to ASTM

Standard method for assessing efficacy of dental unit water line antimicrobials developed

Journal cover SGM Microbiology (Chambless)

Journal cover SGM Microbiology (Xavier)

Modeling protection from antimicrobials via persister cell formation

3D cellular automata model of antimicrobial action on biofilm

32 graduate students; 36 undergraduates (2005-06 academic year)

2006      

NIH Chronic Wound grant awarded

NSF award for BIOFILMS: The Hypertextbook, Cunningham, Ross

CBE drip flow reactor standardized method submitted to/approved by ASTM

19 visiting researchers conduct work at CBE

Journal cover: ASM Appl. & Environ. Eng. (Chambless)

3-D cellular automata model

2007      

4^th ASM Conference on Biofilms, Quebec City (ca. 600 attendees)

Biofilm Mechanics International Workshop, Bozeman

CBE CDC biofilm reactor standardized method approved by ASTM

Qiagen licenses method for distinguishing between live and dead bacteria in molecular assays

Fundamentals of Biofilm Research published, Lewandowski & Beyenal

3D computer model analysis of 3 biofilm detachment mechanisms

Over 690 peer-reviewed papers published since 1990 (avg. 40/year)

ISI: Institution with most biofilm papers published since 1990: Montana State University

ISI: Authors with most biofilm papers published: 1) Costerton; 3) Stewart; 5) Lewandowski; 7)Stoodley

ISI: Top Cited papers since 1990: #2, #3, and #4

Over 160 graduated MS and PhD students since 1990

Over 420 undergraduates involved in CBE research projects since 1990

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