Today, approximately 60% of infections treated by physicians are associated with biofilms [1]. These pose a particular danger because biofilm-associated pathogenic microorganisms are, on the one hand, protected from the human immune system and, on the other hand, exhibit a significantly higher tolerance to antibiotics. Treatments are therefore always carried out over a very long period of time, using high doses of antibiotics and the removal of foreign materials [1], which highlights the need for alternative treatment strategies.
Isothiocyanates (ITCs) exhibit an inhibitory effect on medically relevant biofilms, such as those formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates [2]. The causes of this effect have not yet been clarified. The use of ITCs leads to changes in membrane properties, such as a reduction in surface charge, a deterioration in membrane integrity, and a change in surface hydrophobicity [3]. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that, in various microorganisms, the use of ITCs has a direct influence on bacterial motility [3,4]. This could explain the reduced formation of biofilms.
The goal of the project is to determine to what extent the class of ITCs is capable of sustainably reducing the mechanical properties (including strength) of nosocomial biofilms and what effect they have on biofilm stability. To address this question, in addition to extensive experimental work, the development of a phenomenological material model is planned that describes the mechanical behavior of the nosocomial biofilm as a function of physical and chemical factors.
Sources:
[1] C. A. Fux, J. W. Costerton, P. S. Stewart, P. Stoodley, Trends Microbiol 2005, 13, 34.
[2] S. J. Kaiser, N. T. Mutters, B. Blessing, F. Günther, Fitoterapia 2017, 119, 57.
[3] A. Borges, S. Serra, A. Cristina Abreu, M. J. Saavedra, A. Salgado, M. Simões, Biofouling 2014, 30, 183.
[4] J. Liu, S. Kutschke, K. Keimer, V. Kosmalla, D. Schürenkamp, N. Goseberg, M. Böl, Ecol 2021, 166, 106233.
We would like to thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) for its support of the project “The Effect of Isothiocyanates on the Mechanical Stability of Nosocomial Biofilms (NosoBiofilm).”