Center for Biofilm Engineering News Update:  July, 2001 Volume 4, Issue 7 __________________________________________   Summer 2001 TAC Meeting - July 24-26   See the Agenda at http://www.erc.montana.edu/Ind-Col99-SW/IAP/tac/AgendaTACJul01.html   __________________________________________   Research Highlights   Paper Spotlight   Bacteria Behavior at Surfaces This review features some of the recent significant discoveries in the area of bacterial cell behavior at surfaces and their impact on system ecology and performance. Recently, population level studies were done using new molecular tools allowing researchers to investigate subtle phenotypic differences within a surface-associated bacterial population. Factors such as hydrodynamics, surface chemistry and cell genotype were shown to control the colonization of bacteria on surfaces and the resulting biofilm architecture. These results have led scientists to new discoveries about the relationship between bacterial cells and their environment. Geesey, G.G., "Bacterial Behavior at Surfaces," Curr. Opin. Microbiol., 4(3):296-300 (2001).   __________________________________________   Standardized Biofilm Methods News   State of Montana Commercialization Award The Center for Biofilm Engineering, in collaboration with BioSurface Technologies Corp., received $142,100 from the State of Montana to design, test, manufacture and commercialize a reactor system capable of growing a repeatable steady state biofilm. The intent of the funding is to encourage the economic development of local businesses that in turn will assist the state’s business atmosphere. The final product must incorporate biofilm technology, statistical integrity and manufacturability. During the development process the Standardized Biofilm Methods Team will write an associated standard method which will direct an operator in the basic use of the reactor. However, the reactor will be designed in such a way that modifications for specific applications can easily be achieved. Standard Test Method The CBE Standardized Biofilm Methods Team submitted a method to ASTM Subcommittee E35.15 for review titled “Standard Test Method for Growth and Quantification of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm with Shear and Continuous Flow using a Rotating Disk Reactor.” Currently the Methods Team is reviewing and incorporating comments received from other E35.15 committee members. During TAC, the team will sponsor a method work session for members of the Industrial Associates who are also ASTM members. The method will be submitted to a vote on August 1, 2001.   __________________________________________   Procter & Gamble Research Award    Dr. Zbigniew Lewandowski, Professor Civil Engineering, has been awarded a $60,000 gift by Procter & Gamble to further support his research in the area of Microelectrode Mapping of the Effects of Gases on Staphylococcus aureus and Production of Toxic Shock Syndrom Toxin-1. His research efforts have benefited Procter & Gamble in the past and they are pleased to continue to support this important area of research.   __________________________________________   ASM SPONSORED BIOFILM WORKSHOP   Biofilm Education Workshop Held at ASM Orlando, Friday May 18   Twenty-eight enthusiastic microbiology teachers participated in a Biofilm Education Workshop conducted by Bill Costerton and Mark Pasmore of the CBE, and John Lennox of Penn State Altoona College. The workshop was sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology preceding the Undergraduate Education Conference at the University of Central Florida, Orlando.  Bill Costerton introduced the biofilm story, commenting on the inhibitory effect that the pure culture planktonic paradigm had on the development of microbial ecology. While describing the techniques and results of contemporary biofilm research, Costerton outlined the basic topic headings for an undergraduate understanding of biofilm biology. Lennox ventured the sobering opinion that much of what we have been teaching our students for the past century has been learned from the investigation of a laboratory artifact.  Mark Pasmore followed with a description of the capabilities of CLSM and differential fluorescent staining techniques.  The balance of the workshop was devoted to equipping the participants with a set of equipment, protocols and exercises that will enable them to introduce biofilms into their classes. Each participant built a flow cell, a batch reactor and learned low cost methods for producing and manipulating reproducible biofilms. Many of the techniques demonstrated were direct outgrowths of the research protocols used at the CBE with modifications to make them suitable for the classroom.  Comments of participants, ASM staff and volunteers were uniformly complimentary. At the Division W business meeting one workshop participant commented "we encourage active leaning in our classrooms but when we get together we spend our time listening to lectures. The one exception was the Biofilm Workshop".  All of the materials distributed at the Orlando Workshop will soon be available on BiofilmsOnline.com, a web site of the Biofilm Institute.    ________________________________________   FAREWELL   Dr. Tim Magnuson has accepted a faculty position in Microbial Physiology at Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, starting fall 2001. Tim completed his postdoctoral work with Dr. Gill Geesey and will be leaving the CBE the end of July. Congratulations and best wishes, Tim!   ________________________________________   VISITING FACULTY   Dr. Homero Urrutia Briones from the University of Concepción, Concepción Chile is visiting the CBE from June to September. His research interests relate to structure and function of anaerobic biofilms in wastewater treatment schemes. For several years, Dr. Urrutia´s research group of microbiologists and chemical engineers has been studying anaerobic biofilms (16S RNA dotblot and flow cytometry) trying to establish a structure of archaeal and bacterial communities to enhance methanogenesis in a sulphidogenic environment such as high sulphate-containing effluents. Now at the CBE his interest is to study spatial distribution of methanogenic archaea and sulphate-reducing bacteria in biofilms by means of confocal microscopy and in situ hybridization.   _______ Dr. Mary Jo Kirisits, a post-doctoral research fellow, and Becky Richards, an MS candidate in Biotechnology from Matt Parsek's lab in Northwestern University will be visiting the Center July 13-16, as part of collaborative work. In return, Laura Purevdorj, CBE M.S. candidate in Microbiology, will be going to Northwestern in August. Dr. Kirisits and Becky will be bringing a lasB reporter strain to visualize the induction of cell signaling in flow cells. They have been mainly involved with detection of cell signals in the effluent and harvesting cells to numerically monitor fluorescence and OD/CFU. We hope to use Laura's experience with confocal microscopy and flow cells to visualize the dynamics of local expression.   _________________________________________   Upcoming CBE Workshops and Meetings   See the Events Calendar at http://www.erc.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/whats_new/index.htm     _________________________________________   CBE People in Action   John Komlos presented " Varying Substrate Concentration to Enhance TCE Degradation in Dual-Species Bioreactors," at the 2001 In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Conference, San Diego, CA, June 4-7, 2001. Dr. Al Cunningham chaired the session "In Situ Biobarriers," at the 2001 In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Conference, San Diego, CA, June 4-7, 2001. Robin Gerlach presented "Iron-Reducing Bacteria and Permeable Reactive Subsurface Barriers," at the 2001 In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Conference, San Diego, CA, June 4-7, 2001. Drs. Al Cunningham and Robin Gerlach collaboratively taught a short course, "Bioremediation of Reducible Metals," with Drs. James Petersen and Brent Peyton (Washington State University), Dr. Caccavo, Jr. (Whitworth College) and Dr. Apel (INEEL), at the 2001 In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Conference, San Diego, CA, June 6, 2001. Melissa Cahoon (Education Coordinator), and undergraduate students Janice McKenzie, Katy Yockim, and Katie Dawson attended the Society of Women Engineers Conference, Denver, CO, June 25-29, 2001. They presented a poster entitled "Engineering Women Research Biofilms at Montana State University’s Center for Biofilm Engineering." Dr. William Costerton, presented an industrial seminar at S.C. Johnson & Son, Racine, WI, June 18, 2001. Dr. William Costerton, was invited to the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) 47th Annual Conference to chair a session "Microbial Biofilms on Artificial Organs: New Solutions to a Serious Clinical Problem." He will also present "The Role of the Biofilm Phenotype in Device Related Infections: New Strategies for Control," Manhattan Hilton New York, NY, June 7-9, 2001. Dr. William Costerton was invited to present "The Etiology of Device-Related and Other Chronic Bacterial Biofilm Infections," at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society at the Radisson Hotel, St. Paul, MN, June 10-12, 2001. Dr. William Costerton was invited to present "Advances in Understanding the Biofilm Community," at The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) 2001 Annual Symposium, Orlando, FL, June 14-17, 2001.   __________________________________________   Theses   See theses abstracts at http://www.erc.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Theses/default.htm     __________________________________________   Web Watch   See the BiofilmsOnline.com July issue at http://www.BiofilmsOnline.com   Check our Recent Web Updates page created to make it easy for you to locate new information on the CBE web. See http://www.erc.montana.edu/Recent%20Web%20Updates/default.htm     __________________________________________   Newsletter Listserve   The CBE News Update is a listserve newsletter. If you need to subscribe or unsubscribe from the listserve, follow the directions at the following CBE website.   http://www.erc.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/newsarchives/subscribe.htm   An alternative to subscribing to the listserve is to view the CBE News Update on our web page at http://www.erc.montana.edu/Ind-Col99-SW/Current_Newsletter/default.htm. Newsletter archives can be found at http://www.erc.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/newsarchives/index.htm.   __________________________________________   Diane Williams  editor of the CBE News Update