INSPIRE Track 1: Resolving and optogenetically perturbing biofilms at the single-cell level

Princeton University, Princeton NJ

Investigators

Abstract

This INSPIRE award is partially funded by the Systems and Synthetic Biology program in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences in the Directorate for Biological Sciences, the Physics of Living Systems in the Division of Physics in the Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences, and the Biotechnology, Biochemical, and Biomass Engineering program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, in the Directorate for Engineering. INTELLECTUAL MERIT: In their natural environments, bacteria primarily exist in multicellular, surface-bound communities called biofilms. While biofilms are desirable in the context of wastewater treatment, biofilms are notorious for causing undesirable problems such as chronic, medical device-associated, and hospital-associated infections, and persistent damage to surfaces of nearly all materials. Cells in biofilms display striking differences from cells that are free living, such as production of adhesive polymers, and a 1,000-fold increase in tolerance to antibiotics. Studies to date have been limited to investigations of biofilm formation, when only a few cells are present, or to overall characterization of the entire structure. The PIs made a recent breakthrough in microscopy: they resolved the individual cells in biofilms. This is the first time anyone has peered "into" a biofilm, to watch it develop, cell by cell, under conditions that model environmental, medical, and industrial systems. The PIs have also developed procedures to perturb the biofilm using genetic, mechanical, chemical and optical means. The PIs propose to characterize biofilms from the gene to the genome and from the cell to the collective. The project is based on a radically new approach that is essential to gain the understanding necessary to solve a fundamental problem with broad implications for science, engineering, and society. BROADER IMPACTS: This is a project at the interface of Physics, Biology and Engineering, and as such, offers to the students and postdoctoral researchers involved exceptional research educational opportunities. Moreover, each investigator has remarkable track records in teaching, outreach, and service.