CLASSES:

• Microbiology 202
• Microbiology 302

Pathogens cultured from urinary tract infections are tested for their ability to form biofilms. Biofilms enable microbes to survive antibiotic therapy, UV irradiation, and treatment with disinfectants, so they pose a threat to patients with implants, artificial joints, and catheters. Biofilms are communities of bacteria, and sometimes yeasts, embedded in a multi-layered matrix which is attached to some surface. After being protected in biofilms during antibiotic therapy, the microbes can be released after antibiotic therapy has ceased and cause reinfection.

• Sailer F.C., Meberg B.M., Young K.D. (2003) beta-Lactam induction of colanic acid gene expression in Escherichia coli. FEMS Microbiol Lett. p 26;226(2):245-9.
• Meberg, B.M., Sailer, F.C., Nelson, D.E., and Young, K.D. (2001) Reconstruction of Escherichia coli mrcA (PBP 1a) Mutants Lacking Multiple Combinations of Penicillin Binding Proteins. J Bacteriol 183:20:6148-6149.

INVITED SESSION PAPER:

Authors: Timothy Bigelow*, Trevor Northagen, Tom Hill, Frances Sailer
Title of paper: Ultrasound Histotripsy and the Destruction of Escherichia Coli Biofilms
Type of submission: Invited session paper
Conference: 30th Annual International IEEE EMBS Conference
Has been accepted for presentation at the 30th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 20th - 24th August, 2008.