Granular Biofilms
Granular Biofilms - Related Videos
07:16
Development of a Polymicrobial Colony Biofilm Model to Test Antimicrobials in Cystic Fibrosis
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Cited by 3 •
2024
This methodology allows for the establishment of a polymicrobial biofilm model in cystic fibrosis for antimicrobial sensitivity testing in research and clinical laboratories. This model provides accurate and reliable results over a range of outputs.
04:51
Quantifying Elastic Properties of Environmental Biofilms using Optical Coherence Elastography
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2024
This paper highlights the optical coherence elastography (OCE) technique's efficacy in rapidly and non-destructively characterizing biofilm elastic properties. We elucidate critical OCE implementation procedures for accurate measurements and present Young's modulus values for two granular biofilms.
10:18
Fragmenting Bulk Hydrogels and Processing into Granular Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications
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Cited by 23 •
2022
This work describes straightforward, adaptable, and low-cost methods to fabricate microgels with extrusion fragmentation, process the microgels into injectable granular hydrogels, and apply the granular hydrogels as extrusion printing inks for biomedical applications.
06:10
Extraction of Structural Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Aerobic Granular Sludge
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Cited by 201 •
2016
The protocol provides a methodology to solubilize aerobic granular sludge in order to extract alginate-like extracellular polymers (ALE).
09:03
Growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Biofilms
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Cited by 79 •
2012
Mycobacterium tuberculosis forms drug tolerant biofilms when cultured in certain conditions. Here we describe methods for culturing M. tuberculosis biofilms and determining the frequency of drug tolerant persisters. These protocols will be useful for further studies into the mechanisms of drug tolerance in M. tuberculosis.
FAQs
Limited diffusion is the key mechanism that organizes a granule. As substrates and oxygen move inward, chemical gradients develop, allowing aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic zones to coexist. This spatial separation lets different microbial activities transform organic matter, nitrogen, and pollutants within one aggregate at once.
The EPS matrix gives cells a shared structural environment that helps maintain the granule’s compact form. Because microorganisms produce it themselves, its presence links community organization with physical stability. In treatment systems, this structure contributes to strong settling and helps the biofilm withstand fluctuating conditions more effectively.
Internal zoning supports coordinated metabolism by placing microbial activities in different chemical conditions inside the same aggregate. Aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic regions can therefore operate alongside one another rather than requiring completely separate communities. This arrangement enables transformations of organic matter, nitrogen, and other pollutants, making the granule relevant to integrated environmental processing.
Formation and stability determine whether the organized microbial community can function reliably in a reactor. Understanding these properties helps researchers and engineers relate granule structure to settling behavior, layered activity, and resistance to changing conditions. That knowledge informs treatment design aimed at maintaining effective environmental processing rather than simply creating microbial aggregates.
In wastewater treatment, granular biofilms provide the biological foundation for aerobic granular sludge and related reactor systems. Their compact structure supports layered microbial activity while their strong settling properties help maintain biomass within the treatment process. These characteristics can improve reactor performance and support treatment of organic matter, nitrogen, and other pollutants.
Granular biofilm systems can improve reactor performance while reducing space and energy demands. Their dense, well-settling aggregates concentrate microbial activity and support several chemical zones within the same community. For environmental biotechnology, this combination makes them useful for developing more compact treatment processes that remain effective under fluctuating conditions.