Scourge source
New research at Harvard explains how bacterial biofilms expand on teeth, pipes, surgical instruments, and crops. Through experiment and mathematical analysis, researchers have shown that the extracellular matrix (ECM), a mesh of proteins and sugars that can form outside bacterial cells, creates osmotic pressure that forces biofilms to swell and spread. The ECM mechanism is so powerful that it can increase the radius of some biofilms fivefold within 24 hours. The results have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Biofilms, large colonies of bacteria that adhere to surfaces, can be harmful in a wide range of settings, causing tooth decay, hospital infections, agricultural damage, and corrosion. Finding ways to control or eliminate biofilms is a priority for many industries. In order for a biofilm to grow, a group of bacterial cells must first adhere to a surface and then proliferate and spread. When a vast number of cells are...