Biofilm Formation in Acute and Chronic Infections with Special Emphasis on Common Chronic and Nosocomial Infections

Biofilm is defined as a community of microorganisms that are adhered to living or non-living solid surfaces and embedded in a common, self-made matrix, comprising of exopolysaccharide material. The role of biofilm in chronic diseases deserves special importance as these extracellular polymeric materials developed with quorum sensing support both the primary criteria of infection development namely adhesion and colonisation. Due to their structural and physiological changes, microorganisms present in the biofilm are difficult to treat or eradicate. The presence of a protective layer of extracellular polymers, changes in metabolic activity or a high rate of mutation make them tolerant or resistant to conventional treatment. The persistence of pathogenic microorganisms mostly renders biofilm to be associated with several acute and chronic infections and various nosocomial or healthcare-related infections. Furthermore, cancer development may also result due to biofilm formation. Biofilm may contribute to inflammation. This study deals with molecular aspects of biofilm formation and its role in different disease formations

Rhizospheric soil of Typha angustifolia L. from heavy metal contaminated and free sites: Comparative profiling reveals selective abundance of γ-proteobacteria and β-proteobacteria

733-740Typha angustifolia L. commonly called Lesser bulrush or Narrowleaf cattail, is one of the most predominant flora of the heavy metal enriched wetland of Jaduguda Uranium mine tailings, India. The luxurious growth of this plant is due to its ability to tolerate heavy metals, such as iron and manganese.This plant also grows abundantly in natural wetlands of Kolkata. Rhizospheric eubacterial community of Typha growing in Jaduguda and Kolkata were compared by cloning of 16SrDNA sequences followed by ARDRA (Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis) and sequencing of unique clusters. Sequencing results were subjected to computational analysis. In the natural wetland of Kolkata, the predominant group of eubacteria was found to be β-proteobacteria, which isabsent in heavy metal enriched wetland of Jaduguda where γ-proteobacteria was found to be predominant. The data was statistically validated using a simple χ2 test which established the diversity of the populations in context to the bioavailability of heavy metals