Center for Biofilm Engineering

News Update: 

April, 2006

Volume 9, Issue 4

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Research Highlights

Paper Spotlight by Haluk Beyenal

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Grants Awarded

National Institutes of Health

Peter Suci was awarded an NIH R21 proposal titled “Mobilization of Candida albicans Biofilms.” The total award amount is $348,144 for two years beginning April 1, 2006 through March 31, 2008. Peter will be working with Dr. Andre Nantel at the Biotechnology Research Institute in Montreal, Canada, on this project.

Department of Energy

Robin Gerlach and Brent Peyton were awarded a grant from the DOE Office of Science (Biological and Environmental Research) titled “Mobility of Source Zone Heavy Metals and Radionuclides: The Mixed Roles of Fermentative Activity on Fate and Transport of Uranium and Chromium". The award amount is $352,150 for 21 months beginning March 15, 2006.

National Science Foundation

Brent Peyton transferred an NSF Biocomplexity grant from Washington State University (WSU) to MSU. The project, titled "Biogeochemical Cycling of Heavy Metals in Lake Coeur d'Alene Sediments: The Role of Indigenous Microbial Communities," is in collaboration with Dr. Timothy Ginn at University of California Davis and Dr. Rajesh Sani at Washington State University. The award amount is $873,000 for three years beginning April 1, 2006.

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Visitors
 

Anna A. Lysova, a Ph.D. candidate from Novosibirsk State University and the International Tomography Center, Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, received the US Civilian Research and Development Foundation’s 10th Anniversary Junior Scientist Fellowship to spend three months (April-June, 2006) in the Magnetic Resonance Microscopy (MRM) Lab and the CBE at MSU. Ms. Lysova has expertise in imaging of aluminum and other metals. She will be studying transport in biofilms and looking at the impact of anti-microbial agents on magnetic resonance phenomena in biofilms. The potential for metals imaging in biofilms will also be explored.

Elisa Korenblum, a PhD student from the Instituto de Microbiologia of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will be working with Brent Peyton’s group and the CBE April –August, 2006. The International Microbiology Education Committee (IMEC) selected her as one of three recipients of the ASM International Fellowship Awards for 2006. (http://www.asm.org/microbe/index.asp?bid=41441)

Her focus is on antimicrobial substances (AMS) produced by strains Bacillus licheniformis T6-5 and Bacillus fimus H2O-1, isolated from a Brazilian oil reservoir, that were able to inhibit planktonic sulfate reducing bacteria growth. The current project is focused on the action of two AMS (T6-5 and H2O-1) against sessile SRB, and to apply microscopy techniques to study the effectiveness of these AMS.
 

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Recent CBE Publications

"Biofilm Control Strategies Based on Enzymic Disruption of the Extracellular Polymeric Substance Matrix — a Modeling Study"
Xavier, J.B., C. Picioreanu, S. Abdul Rani, M.C.M. van Loosdrecht, and P.S. Stewart
Microbiology, 51:3817-3832 (2005)

To read paper abstracts or to order paper copies see:
http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Database/PD_DisplayScript.asp

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Education

Bridges Orientation

Bridging Tribal College Students to MSU (BRIDGES) gave a spring orientation on March 8-10, 2006, to students from its five tribal colleges: Chief Dull Knife College, Fort Belknap College, Fort Peck Community College, Little Big Horn College and Stone Child College. Two CBE staff had the opportunity to present undergraduate research experiences at the Center. Elinor Pulcini presented “An Introduction to Biofilms and the Medical Biofilm Laboratory,” and Darla Goeres presented “Integrating Undergraduates into Research in a Meaningful Way.”

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Expanding Your Horizons

CBE educators will conduct a workshop for the "Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics" Program at MSU on April 15, 2006. The workshop will present "Hot Tubs: Much More than a Relaxing Soak." The workshop is a day of hands-on career exploration for young girls in grades 6, 7 and 8, encouraging them to participate in science and mathematics during their school education. Options for careers in the fields of medicine, engineering, mathematics, microbiology, chemistry, computer science and more are discussed, using laboratory exercises and testimonials from women active in these careers. The one-day event attracts about 150 students and is an exciting interaction between professional women and young girls just beginning to think about their futures in the work place. CBE participants include Anne Camper, Linda Loetterle, Rafaella Pulcini, Diane Walker, Jackie Whitaker and Sutapa Barua.

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Thesis Alert

“Power Management for Microbial Fuel Cells,” Thesis Defense by Avinash Shantaram, M.S. Candidate in Environmental Engineering, Montana State University, April 2005.
View thesis abstract at: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Theses/2005/Thesis05_Shantaram.htm

“Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Biofilms," Thesis Defense by Raaja Raajan Angathevar Veluchamy, M.S. Candidate in Environmental Engineering, Montana State University, April 2006.  View thesis abstract at:
http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Theses/2006/Thesis06_Veluchamy.htm

“Design of Model Reactor Systems for Evaluating Disinfectants Against Biofilm Bacteria,” Thesis Defense by Darla Goeres, Ph.D. Candidate in Civil Engineering, Montana State University, April 2006. View thesis abstract at: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Theses/2006/Thesis06_Goeres.htm

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.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/pubs/Theses/Database/TD_DisplayScript.asp

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CBE People in Action

Phil Stewart, as invited speaker will present “Controlling Biofilms" to Unilever Home & Personal Care researchers in Rolling Meadows, IL, April 19, 2006. Deidre Mitchell, Unilever, will be his host.

Caol Huff presented "Enhancing Antibiotic Susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms by Quorum Sensing Inhibition," Montana Section of the American Chemical Society Meeting-in-Miniature, Carroll College, Helena, MT, April 1, 2006.

Christine Foreman as invited speaker presented “Life in Ice: Terrestrial Analogues in the Search for Life” to an Astrobiology group at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, March 28, 2006.

Christine Foreman presented “Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Antarctica," International Conference on Alpine and Polar Microbiology, Innsbruck, Austria, March 27-30, 2006.

Haluk Beyenal as invited speaker presented "Biofilm Structure Quantification," Seminar in Environmental Toxicology, UC Santa Cruz, CA, March 14, 2006.

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Biofilm Education Resources

Upcoming CBE Workshops

“Biofilm Methods Workshop,” organized by the CBE at Montana State University, June 19,  2006.

The summer Technical Advisory Conference workshop will offer a series of advanced topics and lectures. Demonstrations and discussions will include: Using FISH probes in biofilm research; community analysis of wound biofilms using DGGE; pathogen detection in drinking water systems using molecular techniques; biofilm analysis using high throughput 96-well screening. If you are interested in attending the workshop, contact Linda Loetterle, 406-994-7761 as soon as possible. Workshop attendance is limited. CBE Industrial Associates may attend at no cost, and visitors pay a $400. Continental breakfast, lunch, coffee breaks and workshop notebooks are provided.

For more information about the Biofilm Methods Workshops, go to: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Ind-Col99-SW/Workshops/
 

“Biofilms Summer School,” organized by the CBE's Biofilm Structure-Function Research Group, includes the following three workshops listed below.
Bookmark this site: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/default.htm
July 24 – August 4, 2006
Details:  http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/SUMMER%20SCHOOL%20-%20BIOFILMS.pdf

Biofilm Structure Quantification and Image Analysis
July 24 – 25, 2006
Details:  http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/Biofilm Structure Quantification and Image Analysis.pdf

Fundamentals of Biofilm Research
July 26 – 28, 2006
Details: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/Fundamentals of biofilm research.pdf

Microsensors – Manufacture and Applications
July 31 – August 4, 2006
Details: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/CBEssentials-SW/research/workshops/Microsensors workshop.pdf

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Web Watch

BiofilmsOnline.com

New content is being published on this website as “Biofilm Perspectives” —brief articles, written by prominent scientists and industry practitioners from around the world, that identify current trends, concepts and hypotheses in the biofilm field. “Biofilm Perspectives” will appear six times per year. Topics will include biofilm research, applications to real-world problems and regulatory issues. The second issue in this series—available now— is authored by Dr. Rodney Donlan, Biofilm Laboratory Team Leader, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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

Subscribe to the monthly newsletter by registering at: http://www.biofilmsonline.com/cgi-bin/biofilmsonline/newsletter_signup.html

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Newsletter Listserv

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An alternative to subscribing to the listserve is to view the CBE News Update on our web page at http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Ind-Col99-SW/Current_Newsletter/default.htm. Newsletter archives can be found at http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/newsarchives/index.htm.

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