Interfacial rheology of multispecies biofilms

One of the major challenges facing the 21st century is the antibacterial fight. Traditional methods such as antibiotics are ineffective in many cases of chronic infections or food contaminations. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is the formation of biofilms where bacteria are protected from the environment by a protective barrier made of polymers. Several bacterial species coexist and interact within these biofilms. This research project at Stanford aims to characterize bacterial interactions in a pathogenic multi-species biofilm, using a unique technique of chemical engineering called interfacial rheology that measures the viscoelasticity of the biofilm over time. The results will then be supplemented by a microbiological approach to understand the influence of interactions on the evolution of the biofilm. By combining various innovative techniques to analyze biofilm formation, this PhD project will allow the development of new antimicrobial strategies to fight and destroy biofilms.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nick Virgilio

Student:

Partner:

Stanford University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

École Polytechnique de Montréal

Program: