A Way to End Biofilm Production in Bacterium

An article in ScienceDaily sheds some light on certain bacterial secretions. Bacteria protect themselves by secreting a slimy layer that we know as a biofilm. It is basically a whole strain of bacteria packed tightly to protect themselves from attack.  Biofilms have been known to cause many health issues especially on medical implants. They also cause a threat in ocean pollution due to their tendency to coat the outside of ships and boats. This article talks about a new technique that regulates the formation of biofilm by a molecular switch. SinR is known as the biofilm formation regulator protein in Bacillus subtilis. When SinR is bound to DNA, the proteins that are required to make biofilm are turned off. By the application of X-ray crystallography, it has been determined how SinR interacts with very specific DNA targets.

[caption id="attachment_8293" align="aligncenter" width="665" caption="SEM imaging depicting the interaction of the cells of a mouse after exposure to biofilms"][/caption]

I think this is an astounding discovery. I am currently doing research in science about biofilms. I can genuinely see the importance of research in these fields. By knowing how SinR interacts with DNA and other proteins scientists would be able to interject molecules that can interfere with the process. This would stop biofilms from being produces. I also believe this would be a huge break through in the antibiotic field as well as an act against antibiotic-resistant bacterium.