Center for Biofilm Engineering

News Update: 

June, 2004

Volume 7, Issue 6

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Research Highlights

Upcoming Technical Advisory Conference

CBE Industrial Associates will be attending the summer conference, June 29th-July 1st.
Non-member companies who would like an invitation to the meeting should contact Paul Sturman, paul_stu@erc.montana.edu. The conference keynote speaker will be Bonnie Bassler, from Princeton University, NJ. The conference agenda has been posted on the CBE web at:

http://www.erc.montana.edu/Ind-Col99-SW/IAP/tac/TAC_FormAgenda_Summer04.pdf
 

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Upcoming Workshops

Biofilm structure quantification and image analysis
July 22–23, 2004
http://www.erc.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/default.htm

Microsensors: Manufacture and applications
August 9–13, 2004
http://www.erc.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/detailsmicro.htm 


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Awards

2004 SIGACT Distinguished Service Prize

Rocky Ross, computer science professor at Montana State University, received the 2004 SIGACT Distinguished Service Prize from the Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory, which is part of the Association for Computing Machinery, an international society for computing professionals. He attended the Symposium on Theory of Computing conference, June 13-15th, 2004, in Chicago, and was presented his award by Hal Gabow, SIGACT Chair. The award carries with it a $1000 honorarium plus a $500 travel allowance.

See more of the story at: http://www.erc.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/newsarchives/HTML/2004/Ross_MSUNews.htm

College of Engineering Awards

Each year the College of Engineering presents research, teaching, and professional awards to faculty and staff. Robin Gerlach received the Outstanding Researcher for the CBE, Zbigniew Lewandowski was the Outstanding Researcher for Civil Engineering, and Joe Seymour was the Outstanding Researcher for Chemical and Biological Engineering. Ernest Visser received an Outstanding Professional Employee award for the COE Systems Management Team. Congratulations to these talented colleagues!

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Outreach to the Bozeman Professional Community

Bozeman Deaconess Hospital administrators toured the Center on May 7th, 2004 and attended an informal luncheon seminar given by Bill Costerton. Consequently, the Deaconess Hospital administration invited Bill Costerton, Garth James, and Randy Hiebert to give a dinner presentation to the local staff on what biofilms are and why they are important in medicine. The administration is extremely interested in collaboration with a world-class facility like the CBE. Bill talked about general medical microbiology and his talk was entitled "Biofilms in Medicine". Garth explained ongoing medical projects with "Biofilm Behavior Laboratory Research". Randy presented “Funding Opportunities," describing potential collaboration with the CBE. There were 15-20 medical personnel present at the meeting, including physicians, lab techs, and nurses. The departments represented included orthopedics, pediatrics, internal medicine, and gynecology. Following the presentations, there was discussion about possible collaborations

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Education

Research Experience for Undergraduates Summer Program Begins

Eight students arrived at the Center June 7th to begin their summer program. The ten-week program began with a week of lab tours and workshops to orient them to the Center. Students give two presentations on their research project as well as completing a final paper. They will attend communications and ethics seminars, and also take a two-day field trip to Yellowstone National Park.

See a listing of the students, their projects, and project mentors at: http://www.erc.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/education/REU/students_REU2004.htm

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Theses Alert

Thesis work is critical to ongoing research but often isn’t well distributed. We want to alert you to CBE theses that have been produced this past academic year, 2003-2004. The thesis abstracts can be found on the CBE website and copies can be ordered from there as well. To view the thesis abstracts, see http://www.erc.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Theses/Database/TD_DisplayScript.asp

Theoretical Investigation of Biofilm Detachment and Protection from Killing Using a Bacterium Level Automata Model, Thesis Defense by Stephen M. Hunt, Ph.D. Candidate, Chemical Engineering, May 2004.

Impact of a Model Soil on the Biotransformation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene and its Amine Metabolites, Thesis Defense by Diane Kathryn Walker, M.S. Civil Engineering, Montana State University, April 2004.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilms, Thesis Defense by Erica Lee Gjersing, M.S. Candidate, Chemical/Biological Engineering & CBE, Montana State University, April 2004.

Innovative Biofilm Control Strategies, Thesis Defense by Alex Bargmeyer, M.S. Candidate, Civil/Environmental Engineering & CBE, Montana State University, August 2003.

Chromatographic, Spectroscopic and Microscopic Analyses Reveal the Impact of Iron Oxides and Electron Shuttles on the Degradation Pathway of 2,4,6-Tinitrotoluene (TNT) by a Fermenting Bacterium, Thesis Defense by Thomas Borch, Environmental Sciences & CBE, Montana State University, December 2003.

Modeling the Non-linear Response of Mixed Culture Biofilm Structures to Turbulent Flow, Thesis Defense by Brett W. Towler, Ph.D. Candidate, Civil Engineering & CBE, Montana State University, December 2003.

Influence of the Distribution of the Manganese Oxidizing Bacterium, Leptothrix discophora, on Ennoblement of 316L Stainless Steel, Thesis Defense by Scott Campbell, M.S. Candidate in Microbiology & CBE, Montana State University, June 2003.

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Visitors

John Lennox, Professor Emeritus, Microbiology, Pennsylvania State – Altoona, is collaborating the month of June on education initiatives with the Center, Computer Science, and the Biofilm Institute.

Nahit Atkas, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, Van University, Turkey will arrive in August for a one year stay. He will be working on microbial fuel cells with Zbigniew Lewandowski and Haluk Beyenal.

Cindy Morris, Research Scientist, INRA - Avignon, Station de Pathologie Vegetale, France. She will arrive in August for one year to work on plant surface – biofilm interactions in collaboration with Anne Camper.
 

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Introducing New Faces

Dr. Christine Foreman, Assistant Research Professor, has been working in the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, and collaborating with Dr. John Priscu. She is transferring to the CBE and will be working in Anne Camper’s lab on the association of humic substances with biofilms.

Kristy Weaver will be working with Robin Gerlach for at least this summer and possibly beyond. Kristy is an MSU graduate in biology and she worked as an undergraduate researcher with Phil Butterfield a few years ago.

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CBE People in Action

Phil Stewart as invited speaker presented “Multicellular Protection from Antimicrobial Agents in Biofilms,” Biocomplexity VI Conference, Bloomington, IN, May 15, 2004.

Bill Costerton as invited speaker presented “Biofilm – A New Perspective in Dialysis,” Symposium on Infection and Inflammation in Dialysis Patients sponsored by Gambro, Lisbon, Portugal, May 16, 2004.

Bill Costerton as invited speaker presented “Biofilms in Dental Disease,” USC School of Dentistry Board Retreat, Rancho Sante Fe, CA, May 21-23, 2004.

Robin Gerlach presented “Influence of Electron Shuttling Compounds and Iron Minerals on the Reduction of Metals and Organics,” 4th International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, Montery, CA, May 24-27, 2004.

Mark Burr, presented a poster, “Rapid Display of Bacterial Diversity in Complex 16S rDNA Clone Libraries Using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis,” ASM Conference, New Orleans, LA, May 23-27, 2004. Co-authors were Stewart Clark, Jennifer Sestrich, and Anne Camper.

Stewart Clark presented "Survival and Persistence of Salmonella typhimurium in Drinking Water Biofilms," ASM Conference, New Orleans, LA, May 23-27, 2004.

Anne Camper presented “Critical Issues for the Use of Chloramine vs Free Chlorine in Controlling Distribution System Biofilm Problems,” IWA LET2004 meeting, Prague, Czech Republic, June 2-4, 2004

Thomas Borch presented “Iron (Hydr)Oxides and Electron Shuttles Govern the Fate of 2.4.6-Trinitrotoluene by a Soil Bacterium,” Goldschmidt Conference - Processes in Geochemistry, Copenhagen (Denmark), June 5-11, 2004.

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Recent Web Updates

Check the Recent Web Updates link located on the CBE home page, to view the latest information posted on the CBE web.

See http://www.erc.montana.edu/Recent%20Web%20Updates/default.htm

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See the BiofilmsOnline.com June issue at http://www.BiofilmsOnline.com.

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