Oct 8, 2010 06:47 GMT  ·  By

In a finding that could lead to the development of new therapies against bacterial infections, experts recently found out that certain bacteria can basically get up and “walk” when creating biofilms.

These are structures that cover bacterial colonies after the microorganisms start taking hold of a new host. Made out of lipids and proteins, this protective shield renders the bacteria invulnerable.

Biofilms keep both antibiotics and immune system cells away from the colony, which is therefore free to multiply at will under the cover.

But now researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) have demonstrated an odd behavior in bacteria, which appears to only take place the initial stages of biofilm formation.

As part of their adaptation to a particular surface, the invading cells can simply get up and “walk around,” in a process that is most likely one of the sources for the biofilms' strength.

Developing a way of destroying biofilms could allow for the creation of antibiotics that would address some of the world's most dangerous bacteria. Conditions such as cystic fibrosis may disappear.

“Bacteria exist in two physiological states: the free-swimming, single-celled planktonic state and the surface-mounted biofilm state, a dense, structured, community of cells governed by their own sociology,” Gerard Wong explains.

“Bacteria in biofilms are phenotypically different from free-swimming bacteria even though they are genomically identical,” the scientist goes on to say.

“As part of their adaptation to a surface and to the existence of a community, different genes are turned up and down for bacteria in biofilms, leading to drastically different behavior,” added the expert.

Wong holds an appointment as a professor of bioengineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, and also works at the California NanoSystems Institute.

He and his group published additional details of their findings in the current issue of Science. The team dubbed the newly-discovered behavior the “walking” motility mechanism.

The new research effort was supported with grant money from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). The money were secured under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“One of the most exciting factors of this work for me is the potential for widespread impact. Biofilm formation is ubiquitous in human health and also in a variety of industrial settings,” adds Jacinta Conrad.

“Biofouling due to biofilm formation increases the hydrodynamic drag on ships, leading to increased fuel consumption, and also contributes to increased costs in water treatment, oil recovery and food processing,” the expert adds.

“Controlling biofilm formation will therefore allow us to reduce biofouling-related problems across a wide range of industries,” says Conrad, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston.