Bacterial species dominance within a binary culture biofilm
- 1 July 1991
- journal article
- Published by American Society for Microbiology in Applied and Environmental Microbiology
- Vol. 57 (7) , 1974-1979
- https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.57.7.1974-1979.1991
Abstract
Studies with two species of bacteria, Pseudomonas putida and Hyphomicrobium sp. strain ZV620, were carried out to evaluate the overall net rate of accumulation of biofilm, the biofilm species composition, and individual species shear-related removal rates. Bacterial cells of either or both species were deposited onto glass or biofilm surfaces to initiate multispecies biofilms. Subsequent biofilm development was carried out under known conditions of nutrient concentration and laminar flow. Establishment of a depositing organism in a biofilm composed of another species was found to be a function of the relative growth rates of the bacterial species. In the case of simultaneous species deposition and subsequent binary culture development, the faster-growing organisms rapidly became the dominant biofilm species, but the slower-growing organisms remained established within the biofilm and continued to increase in numbers over time. The results also indicated that the rate of cell removal by fluid shear for a species was a function of biofilm cell number only if the species concentration was uniform with depth; in essence, only the upper layers of the biofilm were sheared off.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Use of nuclepore filters for counting bacteria by fluorescence microscopyApplied and Environmental Microbiology, 1977