Surface acoustic waves increase the susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms to antibiotic treatment

Abstract

Bacterial urinary tract infections resulting from prolonged patient catheterization have become a major health problem. One of the major issues is bacterial resistance to antibiotic treatments due to biofilm formation inside the catheters, thus enhancing the search for alternative treatments. In the present study, a device containing a piezo element capable of transmitting low-frequency surface acoustic waves (SAW) onto the indwelling catheter was used. The SAW were able to eradicate biofilm-residing bacteria by >85% when applied simultaneously with an antibiotic in three clinically relevant species, viz. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, transcriptome analysis revealed that SAW can alter the transcription pattern of P. aeruginosa, suggesting that this signal can be specifically sensed by the bacterium.

Keywords:

• biofilm
• surface acoustic waves
• transcriptome analysis
• antibiotics

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Nofar grant to EB from the Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor. The authors thank H. Jacob, I. Zumeris, H. Raskin, and J. Zumeris for helpful discussion and technical assistance.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ehud Banin

The first two authors contributed equally to this work.