Abstract
Investigating the structural properties of biofilms is important as they undergo profound changes in their genetic and cellular make up once planktonic cells are converted to biofilm communities. Present study focused on examining the structural attributes of fungal-bacterial biofilms (FBBs), a novel introduction to biotechnological applications, in comparison to bacterial (BBs) and fungal (FBs) biofilms. Enterobacter sp. and Aspergillus sp. were used as the bacterial and fungal counterparts in biofilms. FBB, BB and FB were developed in vitro in a prescribed Biofilm Formation Medium. The biofilm formation was observed under the light microscope. The biofilms were pelletized and Infra-Red spectra were recorded using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR analysis clearly showed the presence of Amide I (~1635 cm-1) and II (~1544 cm-1), C-O and P=O stretching, and CH2 scissoring in FBB and BB. FB showed only the Amide I band. The absorbance values of above functional groups, cellular polysaccharides, amides and fatty acids gradually increased in the first three days of biofilm maturation and then leveled off. FBB showed higher accumulation of all macro molecules recorded at each sampling time, thus demonstrating its increased metabolic activity compared to BB and FB.
Highlights
Biofilms are complex, multicellular communities which are adhered to abiotic or biotic surfaces (O’Toole et al, 2000)
The present study focused on characterizing structural attributes and some biomolecules that are important in functioning of the fungal-bacterial biofilms (FBBs) and their resident microbes in monoculture state using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy
Morphology of biofilms In FBBs, the fungal filaments were acted as the surface for bacterial cells to colonize (Figure 1a, b, c)
Summary
Multicellular communities which are adhered to abiotic or biotic surfaces (O’Toole et al, 2000). They comprise of algal, fungal, bacterial or other microbial cells. These cells produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to provide the structure and protection to the community (Kokare et al, 2008). Biofilms are found in natural, industrial and medical environments (Seneviratne, 2003). Genetic and metabolic alterations that occur during the biofilm formation can be exploited for improved effects in biotechnological applications (Seneviratne et al, 2008). The functional properties of microbial biofilms have remarkable applications in environmental settings
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