James Cook University researchers are calling for a better understanding of biofilms, the unsung heroes and villains of medicine, engineering and shipping.
In an opinion piece published in Microbiology Australia, a JCU team led by Dr Yaoqin Hong introduced a new theory to help scientists engineer biofilms, which are the gluey scaffolds made by bacteria and microbes to house and protect cells from environmental extremes.
"A household example of a biofilm is the slimy black stuff that builds up in your bathroom sink," said Dr Hong
"Even after bleaching, they always come back, demonstrating that they are very robust, very stable microbial communities that keep reestablishing themselves."
Dr Hong said the same thing can happen in bacterial lung infections. Bacteria form biofilms that cause enormous problems for patients with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition impacting over 160,00 people worldwide.
"The problematic bacteria cast themselves in a very sticky biofilm and antibiotic drugs struggle to get through it." he said.
Dr Hong's team introduced the Goldilocks' Theory, explaining that biofilm stability depends on just the right proportion of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in the cell envelope.
"Too much of one or the other and the biofilm breaks down… it has to be just right." Dr Hong said.
"Treatments for cystic fibrosis now focus on the biofilms, by including enzymes that specifically target extracellular DNA in these biofilms, to destabilise them,
"That's been a game changer in improving the living standard for cystic fibrosis patients"
Biofilms are helpful in water treatment and can be used to make living, self-repairing building materials, but they are also a billion-dollar problem in shipping. They form on the sides of boats, increasing fuel use and emissions, and are very difficult to remove.
"You can have fungi, bacteria, multiple different species involved … they secrete chemicals that allow them to physically glue themselves to the ship's hull and you end up having to chip them off," Dr Hong explained.
While current approaches involve trying to stop biofilm formation, Dr Hong suggests efforts to destabilise biofilms are also worth considering.
"You can try to prevent biofilms from forming, but once they do form, they remain very very difficult to deal with"
"We need to find ways to disperse an already formed biofilm,
"The more tools we have to understand biofilm formation, the better our response will be" Dr Hong said.
