Center for Biofilm Engineering

News Update: 

June, 2006

Volume 9, Issue 6

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Research Highlights

Paper Spotlight

Critical knowledge: Identifying bacterial diversity
by Mark Burr

It is widely accepted in microbiology that culturing methods fail to detect most bacterial species present in biofilms. Yet in order to control natural biofilms (e.g., wound and prosthesis infections, industrial surface fouling, dental biofilms), it is important and often critical to know the species composition of the biofilm in question. Molecular methods targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA marker gene have become increasingly popular because they provide a total community analysis. Within 16S rDNA analysis there have traditionally been two divergent approaches. One is to clone 16S rDNA, sequence individual clones, and create a picture of the whole community from the sum of its parts. The other approach is to create the picture of the community first, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and then retrieve sequence information by excising individual bands from the DGGE profile. This paper reports a novel protocol in which the two approaches were combined. First, 16S rDNA was amplified using PCR and the products were cloned to create a library, which was then analyzed using DGGE. Individual clones produced single bands. Pools of clones produced DGGE profiles that often were remarkably similar to the conventional DGGE profiles obtained directly from DNA, without cloning. Once individual clones were aligned with prominent bands in the whole community profile, DNA sequencing was performed on the clones rather than on excised gel bands. Nearly the entire 16S region could be cloned, leading to more reliable identification of the species. The significance of our method is that the dominant members of a biofilm community can be rapidly identified so that control measures can be more effectively designed.

"Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) can Rapidly Display the Bacterial Diversity Contained in 16S rDNA Clone Libraries"
Burr, M.D., S.J. Clark, C.R. Spear, and A.K. Camper
Microb. Ecol., in press (2006) Published Online 28 April 2006

View the Abstract
 

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Undergraduate co-author is in the media

Cinnamon Spear, a co-author of the spotlight paper above, has been getting media attention this month.  Read these interesting articles about Cinnamon's involvement in the CBE and how the Howard Hughes Medical Institute has supported her endeavors at Montana State University.

From the Reservation to the Research Lab
June 01, 2006
Howard Hughes Medical Institute News

MSU receives $1.6 million for biology education

June 02, 2006

MSU News

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Summer Technical Advisory Conference

The summer 2006 Industrial Associate Technical Advisory Conference (TAC) will be held in Bozeman June 20-22 (Tuesday-Thursday). The TAC will feature sessions on Antimicrobial Surfaces, Biofilms in Food and Food Processing, Industrial Water Treatment, Biofilm Methods, and Environmental Biofilms. Other special presentations include regulatory issues and microscopy.

See the TAC Agenda (pdf)

If you'd like further information about the TAC, please contact Paul Sturman
 

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Subsurface Biotechnology & Bioremediation Symposium & Workshop

The CBE recently received a grant from the Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA) to host a one-day symposium on Subsurface Biotechnology and Bioremediation (SBB). The symposium has been scheduled June 22 – 23, 2006, to coincide with this summer’s Technical Advisory Conference (see above). The SBB symposium will take place on Thursday June 22nd and the workshop on Friday June 23rd. The symposium begins Thursday morning with the TAC Session 6: Environmental Biofilms. The SBB symposium will then continue with a luncheon, afternoon sessions and an evening poster session. See the agenda below.

Faculty, researchers and students from all Inland Northwest Research Alliance (INRA) institutions are cordially invited to attend the first INRA-sponsored symposium and workshop. Please contact: Al Cunningham, Symposium Coordinator, 406 994-6109

Registration form
Symposium Agenda

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College of Engineering Awards

Three CBE-affiliated faculty and staff were recognized for research excellence at the May 2006 College of Engineering awards luncheon. Outstanding Research Award recipients were: Betsey Pitts, Center for Biofilm Engineering; Joe Seymour, Chemical and Biological Engineering; and Sarah Codd, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Betsey is the Center’s Microscope Facilities Manager, training researchers how to use the imaging facilities and she is also a research associate working with Phil Stewart’s Biofilm Control group. Sarah was appointed to the College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering as assistant professor in the fall of 2005; Joe and Sarah co-direct the Magnetic Resonance Microscopy (MRM) laboratory at MSU.   View pictures

Al Cunningham received the inaugural MSU College of Engineering Outreach Award. This award was established to recognize especially significant outreach achievement and/or a body of work evolving from extensive outreach activities.  Read more

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New Employees and Students

Brenda Grau recently earned her PhD in Microbiology from Louisiana State University and began working as a post doc with Phil Stewart’s group June 1, 2006. She will bring skills in general bacteriology and molecular techniques to the Control lab where she will be working on projects sponsored by CBE collaborator Dr. Garth Ehrlich relating to middle ear infections.

Andrea Hartman has recently joined the Center as an undergraduate research assistant working for John Neuman, Adie Phillips and Elinor Pulcini. She is a Chemical Engineering major and her hometown is Missoula.

Peter Haun is a junior in Chemical and biological engineering and will be working with Erin Field and Robin Gerlach this summer. Peter will work on a project that evaluates the impact of heavy metals on cellulose utilizing bacteria.

J. Storm Shirley is a Microbiology PhD student funded by the Thermal Biology Institute to examine thermophiles that degrade contaminants. Later this year he will start using solid phase substrata to examine the thermophilic community that attaches and forms biofilms

Jeffrey Ashe is a junior (a senior this fall) in Biochemistry, working this summer and fall on a collaborative project with the Medical Biofilms Lab and Al Cunningham. The project is funded by ZERT and is titled “ZERT Biomineralization.”

Conrad Donovan is majoring in Electrical Engineering. He will be working on microbial fuel cell power management system with the Biofilm Structure and Function, and Bioelectrochemistry research group (Lab 337). Conrad is very excited about powering the laboratory with the microbial fuel cells!

James Meyer will be giving the CBE graphics support with TAC preparations this summer. As an undergraduate, James worked as a graphics assistant to Peg Dirckx and has since worked as a graphic design consultant for Video Lottery Technologies and he freelances also. We welcome his support!

Paul Volden, a senior in Biomedical Science, will be working this summer and through the next school year in Anne Camper’s lab with Ben Klayman. Paul will be growing and analyzing biofilms grown in flow cells.

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New CBE Publications

“Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Can Rapidly Display the Bacterial Diversity Contained in 16S rDNA Clone Libraries”
Burr MD, Clark SJ, Spear CR, Camper AK
Microb. Ecol. 2006; [Epub ahead of print]

“Identification of Staphylococcus aureus Proteins Recognized by the Antibody-Mediated Immune Response to a Biofilm Infection”
Brady RA, Leid JG, Camper AK, Costerton JW, Shirtliff ME
Infect Immun. 2006; 74(6):3415-3426

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Education

Capitol Hill Presentation

A recent Montana State University graduate's innovative research into a treatment for groundwater contaminants was presented on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., in late April. Read the full story at: http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/Res-Lib99-SW/newsarchives/HTML/2006/Steppler_MSUNews.htm

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Summer Undergraduate Scholar Program Students

Two undergraduates will be working in the Medical Biofilms Laboratory with Garth James on projects through the Undergraduate Scholar Program. Saba Alniemi, undergraduate in Biomedical Sciences, will work on a project titled “Bacteriophage Interaction with Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm,” and Hans Bernstein, undergraduate in Chemical and Biological Engineering, is working on a project “Bacteria Composition Analysis of Unknown Biofilms.”

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CBE People in Action

Phil Stewart will give an invited presentation "Treating Oral Biofilms with Antimicrobials," to Colgate-Palmolive, Newark, NJ, July 11, 2006.

Kelli Buckingham-Meyer presented a poster "Technique to Visualize Extracellular Polymeric Substance in Biofilms Grown Under Different Shear Conditions," American Society of Microbiology General Meeting, Orlando, FL, May 21 – 23, 2006.

Andreas Nocker-Einsiedler, present poster "Differentiation of Live vs. Dead Bacteria by Selective Removal of DNA from Dead Cells," American Society of Microbiology General Meeting, Orlando, FL, May 21-23, 2006.

Brent Peyton presented a poster “Reductive Transformation of Metals and Organics by Gram Positive Environmental Isolates of the Genus Cellulomonas,” American Society of Microbiology General Meeting, Orlando, FL, May 21-23, 2006. Co-authors are: R. Gerlach, W. Apel, V. Sivaswamy, W. Smith, D. Newby, F. Roberto, S. Viamajala, J. Barnes, T. Borch

Mohiuddin MD Taimur Khan presented a poster "Heterogeneity and Distribution of Biofilm on Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltation Membranes in Rotating Disk Reactor System," North American Membrane Society NAMS - 2006 Conference, Chicago, IL, May 12-17, 2006.
Co-authors are: William Mickols, Ph.D., DOW/FilmTec ; David Moll, Ph.D., The DOW Chemical Company; Jason Niu, Ph.D., DOW/FilmTec; Anne Camper, Ph.D., Montana State University

Phil Stewart as an invited speaker presented "Biofilm Infections and Antimicrobial Tolerance," Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Roswell, GA, May 11-12, 2006.

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Biofilm Education Resources

Upcoming CBE 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

See the BiofilmsOnline.com June 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 Listserve

The CBE News Update is a listserve newsletter. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe from the listserve, follow the directions at the following CBE website.

http://www.biofilm.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.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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