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Abstract
The retention of a surrogate pathogenic bacterium, Escherichia coliT , in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms (with various EPS excreting capacities) was investigated using a laboratory flow cell system. The structural characteristics of the biofilm, as well as the quantity of E. coliT retained in the biofilm, were assessed using confocal laser scanning microscopy coupled with image analysis. In addition, the total interaction energy between E. coliT and the P. aeruginosa biofilm was computed with the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, which provided an additional context to explain the pathogen interaction in aquatic biofilms. The correlations between the quantity of detained E. coliT cells and the structural characteristics of the biofilm were analysed and the results indicated that the heterogeneity of the biofilm could create a quiescent zone leading to temporary retention of E. coliT within the biofilm. Overall, this study provided insights toward understanding the retention of pathogenic bacteria in environmental biofilms.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by National Science Foundation (Grant #0933288) in conducting this project. The authors would also like to thank Dr Daniel J. Hassett (University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH) and Dr Daniel B. Oerther (Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO) for providing the three different strains of P. aeruginosa and the E. coli type strain carrying the pDsRed-Express plasmid, respectively. Additionally, the authors would like to thank Dr Thanh H. Nguyen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) for her insights on the application of DLVO theory.