The complex architecture of biofilm building uncovered
Hospital-caught (nosocomial) bacterial infections can be the hardest to combat because they often evolve antibiotic resistance. Acinetobacter baumannii is one such bug and like, other gram-negative bacteria, relies on safety in numbers by forming a shielding 3D biofilm between neighbours. This study uncovers the complex architecture of the film built from pili (the stringy connectors emanating from A. baumannii cells seen here using electron microscopy), revealing the mechanisms underlying its formation and thus new targets for combatting antibiotic resistance.
Read the published research article here
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