Diffusion maps of Bacillus subtilis biofilms via magnetic resonance imaging highlight a complex network of channels

Assessing microbiota in vivo: debugging with medical imaging

The microbiota is integral to human health and has been mostly characterized through various ex vivo 'omic'-based approaches. To better understand the real-time function and impact of the microbiota, in vivo molecular imaging is required. With technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT), insight into microbiological processes may be coupled to in vivo information. Noninvasive imaging enables longitudinal tracking of microbes and their components in real time; mapping of microbiota biodistribution, persistence and migration; and simultaneous monitoring of host physiological responses. The development of molecular imaging for clinical translation is an interdisciplinary science, with broad implications for deeper understanding of host-microbe interactions and the role(s) of the microbiome in health and disease.

Boron Derivatives Accelerate Biofilm Formation of Recombinant Escherichia coli via Increasing Quorum Sensing System Autoinducer-2 Activity

Boron is an essential element for autoinducer-2 (AI-2) synthesis of quorum sensing (QS) system, which affects bacterial collective behavior. As a living biocatalyst, biofilms can stably catalyze the activity of intracellular enzymes. However, it is unclear how boron affects biofilm formation in E. coli, particularly recombinant E. coli with intracellular enzymes. This study screened different boron derivatives to explore their effect on biofilm formation. The stress response of biofilm formation to boron was illuminated by analyzing AI-2 activity, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) composition, gene expression levels, etc. Results showed that boron derivatives promote AI-2 activity in QS system. After treatment with H3BO3 (0.6 mM), the AI-2 activity increased by 65.99%, while boron derivatives increased the biomass biofilms in the order H3BO3 > NaBO2 > Na2B4O7 > NaBO3. Moreover, treatment with H3BO3 (0.6 mM) increased biomass by 88.54%. Meanwhile, AI-2 activity had a linear correlation with polysaccharides and protein of EPS at 0−0.6 mM H3BO3 and NaBO2 (R2 > 0.8). Furthermore, H3BO3 upregulated the expression levels of biofilm formation genes, quorum sensing genes, and flagellar movement genes. These findings demonstrated that boron promoted biofilm formation by upregulating the expression levels of biofilm-related genes, improving the QS system AI-2 activity, and increasing EPS secretion in E. coli.

NMR diffusometry: A new perspective for nanomedicine exploration

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based diffusion methods open new perspectives for nanomedicine characterization and their bioenvironment interaction understanding. This review summarizes the theoretical background of diffusion phenomena. Self-diffusion and mutual diffusion coefficient notions are featured. Principles, advantages, drawbacks, and key challenges of NMR diffusometry spectroscopic and imaging methods are presented. This review article also gives an overview of representative applicative works to the nanomedicine field that can contribute to elucidate important issues. Examples of in vitro characterizations such as identification of formulated species, process monitoring, drug release follow-up, nanomedicine interactions with biological barriers are presented as well as possible transpositions for studying in vivo nanomedicine fate.

Water in bacterial biofilms: pores and channels, storage and transport functions

Bacterial biofilms occur in many natural and industrial environments. Besides bacteria, biofilms comprise over 70 wt% water. Water in biofilms occurs as bound- or free-water. Bound-water is adsorbed to bacterial surfaces or biofilm (matrix) structures and possesses different Infra-red and Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance signatures than free-water. Bound-water is different from intra-cellularly confined-water or water confined within biofilm structures and bacteria are actively involved in building water-filled structures by bacterial swimmers, dispersion or lytic self-sacrifice. Water-filled structures can be transient due to blocking, resulting from bacterial growth, compression or additional matrix formation and are generally referred to as "channels and pores." Channels and pores can be distinguished based on mechanism of formation, function and dimension. Channels allow transport of nutrients, waste-products, signalling molecules and antibiotics through a biofilm provided the cargo does not adsorb to channel walls and channels have a large length/width ratio. Pores serve a storage function for nutrients and dilute waste-products or antimicrobials and thus should have a length/width ratio close to unity. The understanding provided here on the role of water in biofilms, can be employed to artificially engineer by-pass channels or additional pores in industrial and environmental biofilms to increase production yields or enhance antimicrobial penetration in infectious biofilms.