In order to rid produce of pesky biofilm, a recent discovery that bacteria actually talk to one another, in a process called quorum sensing, was applied in Brandwein’s research. He discovered that this cross-talk is one of the factors that regulate biofilm formation. When certain molecules detect a sufficiently high cell density, they activate a cascade of genetic processes that leads to the bacteria’s adhesion. Controlling the production or integration of these molecules can prevent the bacteria from coordinating to create a biofilm. Along those lines, Brandwein has incorporated a novel molecule synthesized at the Hebrew University, called TZD, into anti-biofilm food packaging. At the Biofilm Research Laboratory the molecule successfully interfered with biofilm formation by bacteria and fungi. It has also been tested successfully to prevent biofilms in recycled water systems.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 18:20:52 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015