Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BIOFAGE (Interaction Dynamics of Bacterial Biofilms with Bacteriophages)

Teaser

Bacteria mostly live in densely populated sessile communities, termed biofilms. In their natural environments, bacteria are frequently attacked by bacteriophages (or simply: phages), which are viruses that are a major driver of bacterial death. Although biofilms have been...

Summary

Bacteria mostly live in densely populated sessile communities, termed biofilms. In their natural environments, bacteria are frequently attacked by bacteriophages (or simply: phages), which are viruses that are a major driver of bacterial death. Although biofilms have been studied for several decades, and phages have been studied for a century, the interaction between these two ubiquitous features of bacterial life is largely unexplored. In the BIOFAGE project, we aim to fill this major gap in our understanding of microbial ecology, by revealing the interaction mechanisms between biofilms and phages and how these mechanisms drive the population dynamics.

The results of the BIOFAGE project have so far provided a mechanistic understanding of specific phage-biofilm interactions and bring us closer to general concepts for phage-biofilm interaction dynamics, which could provide new insights for applications in phage therapy.

Work performed

In the BIOFAGE project, we have been investigating the biological, environmental, and physical determinants of phage spread. Using simulations, we have explored which properties of phages and biofilms could be most important in influencing their interactions, and predicted that the reduction of mobility of phages into the biofilm could be a major factor influencing phage spread in biofilms. We were able to confirm these predictions experimentally, by showing that Escherichia coli biofilms protect themselves from phage predation by secreting a particular matrix component (curli amyloid fibers) that tightens the biofilm architecture and binds phages, to prevent phage movement into the biofilm.

These findings have raised the question of manipulating the biofilm architecture and matrix composition to facilitate phage transport into biofilms. If phage penetration of biofilms is indeed a key hindrance to successfully removing biofilms, then it should be possible to improve biofilm removal by enhancing phage transport into biofilms. Most recently, we found that antibiotic treatment of biofilms opens up the cell-cell spacing in biofilms, as a consequence of an antibiotic-induced breakdown of the extracellular matrix, which enables phages to pass through the biofilm community barrier.

In the BIOFAGE project, we have also developed novel technologies for biofilm imaging and image analysis, which are critical tools for advancing mechanistic research on biofilm-phage interactions.

Final results

For the remaining time of the BIOFAGE project, we expect to make major progress in understanding how biofilms respond to phage predation on the time scale of the physiological adaptation, and on the multi-generational time scale of evolutionary adaptation. In addition, we will explore to which extent it is possible to use phages to manipulate biofilm communities.