Concept

Biofilm

Related publications (219)

Ecosystem engineers: Biofilms and the ontogeny of glacier floodplain ecosystems

Tom Ian Battin, Jade Brandani, Matteo Roncoroni

The term “ecosystem engineering” emerged in the 1990s and is commonly used to refer to the activities of larger organisms like beavers and trees in rivers and streams. The focus on larger organisms may be motivated by their more visible effects on the envi ...

2019

DNA-uptake pili of Vibrio cholerae are required for chitin colonization and capable of kin recognition via sequence-specific self-interaction

Melanie Blokesch, Sandrine Stutzmann, Candice Stoudmann, David William Adams

How bacteria colonize surfaces and how they distinguish the individuals around them are fundamental biological questions. Type IV pili are a widespread and multipurpose class of cell surface polymers. Here we directly visualize the DNA-uptake pilus of Vibr ...

2019

Mechanisms of DNA Uptake by Naturally Competent Bacteria

Melanie Blokesch

Transformation is a widespread mechanism of horizontal gene transfer in bacteria. DNA uptake to the periplasmic compartment requires a DNA-uptake pilus and the DNA-binding protein ComEA. In the gram-negative bacteria, DNA is first pulled toward the outer m ...

2019

Neighbor predation linked to natural competence fosters the transfer of large genomic regions in Vibrio cholerae

Melanie Blokesch, Nicolas Jean Philippe Guex, Christian Iseli, Sandrine Stutzmann, Candice Stoudmann, Noémie Matthey

Natural competence for transformation is a primary mode of horizontal gene transfer. Competent bacteria are able to absorb free DNA from their surroundings and exchange this DNA against pieces of their own genome when sufficiently homologous. However, the ...

2019

The type IV pilus protein PilU functions as a PilT-dependent retraction ATPase

Melanie Blokesch, Sandrine Stutzmann, Candice Stoudmann, David William Adams, Jorge André Matias Pereira

Type IV pili are dynamic cell surface appendages found throughout the bacteria. The ability of these structures to undergo repetitive cycles of extension and retraction underpins their crucial roles in adhesion, motility and natural competence for transfor ...

2019

A cellulolytic fungal biofilm enhances the consolidated bioconversion of cellulose to short chain fatty acids by the rumen microbiome

Robert Lawrence Shahab

The ability of the multispecies biofilm membrane reactors (MBM reactors) to provide distinguished niches for aerobic and anaerobic microbes at the same time was used for the investigation of the consolidated bioprocessing of cellulose to short chain fatty ...

2019

Insights into flagellar function and mechanism from the squid-vibrio symbiosis

Stéphanie Kéren Cohen

Flagella are essential and multifunctional nanomachines that not only move symbionts towards their tissue colonization site, but also play multiple roles in communicating with the host. Thus, untangling the activities of flagella in reaching, interacting, ...

2019

Gut microbial transformation of the dietary mutagen MeIQx may reduce exposure levels without altering intestinal transport

Julita Maria Stadnicka-Michalak, Jianbo Zhang

The mutagen and probable human carcinogen 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) is metabolized in the colon to 9-hydroxyl-2,7-dimethyl-7,9,10,11-tetrahydropyrimido[2',1':2,3]imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx-M1) by conjugation with microbial ...

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD2019

Microbial life in porous systems

David Scheidweiler

Microbial life in porous systems dominates the functioning of numerous ecosystems, ranging from stream sediments to soils. While these environments are characterized by structures that vary spatially over orders of magnitude, the traditional research focus ...

EPFL2019

Ecological implications of gene regulation by TfoX and TfoY among diverse Vibrio species

Melanie Blokesch, Candice Stoudmann, Noémie Matthey, Lisa Christina Metzger, Esther Jeanne Collas

Bacteria of the genus Vibrio are common members of aquatic environments where they compete with other prokaryotes and defend themselves against grazing predators. A macromolecular protein complex called the type VI secretion system (T6SS) is used for both ...

2019

Graph Chatbot

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.