Study of natural microbial ecosystems is hampered by our inability to closely duplicate the development of a community in the laboratory environment. The lack of such systems is particularly acute when endolithic microbes are examined. In this study, we have developed a system that enables laboratory growth of cryptoendolithic microbial communities resembling those found in the porous sandstones making up the Colorado Plateau in southeastern Utah. Microscopic examination of natural and in vitro cryptoendolithic biofilms shows that, on a gross level, the laboratory biofilm is developing in a fashion that is structurally similar to that of the native community. Further confirmation that the laboratory system resembles the native community was obtained by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequence analysis to examine the biofilms for the presence of cyanobacteria and the Geobacteriaceae. We found that the molecular profiles for these two groups of bacteria were nearly identical in the native and in vitro biofilms. These data show that our system for growing cryptoendolithic bacteria in the laboratory is suitable for the study of these ecosystems and will allow for experimental manipulations that are not possible in the field.

Candida albicans forms part of the normal human flora whose growth is usually restricted by the normal flora bacteria and the host's immune system. It is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes infections in immunocompromised individuals, mechanical trauma victims and iatrogenic patients. Candida albicans can ingress the human host by adhering to a plastic surface (i.e. prosthetic devices, catheters, artificial organs, etc.) that is subsequently implanted, and forms a protective biofilm that provides a continuous reservoir of yeast to be hematogenously dispersed. In order for the medical profession to battle device-related infections, initial adhesion and biofilm formation of C. albicans needs to be better understood. There has been some skepticism as to whether the initial adhesion events bear any relationship to subsequent biofilm formation. Thus, to better comprehend the relationship between the initial adhesion rates and growth rate and biofilm formation, these events were studied on two different, well-defined culture surfaces, native polystyrene and Pluronic F127-conditioned polystyrene. The adhesion studies determined that Pluronic F127 adsorption dramatically reduced the adhesion of C. albicans to polystyrene. The biofilm growth studies, analyzed by confocal scanning laser microscopy, revealed that Pluronic F127 decreased the biofilm surface coverage, cluster group size, thickness and the presence of hyphal elements over the untreated polystyrene. These findings indicate that the effect of a material's surface chemistry on the initial adhesion process has a direct influence on subsequent biofilm formation.

This list includes conferences that had been announced at the time of going to press. We are happy to include details of other biofilm-related conferences – please send details of these to the editor-in-chief.

This list includes conferences that had been announced at the time of going to press. We are happy to include details of other biofilm-related conferences – please send details of these to the editor-in-chief.

Microfabrication of biofilms

Modelling drain biofilms

Interaction between mycobacteria and the respiratory mucosa

Modelling the gastrointestinal tract

Modelling oral biofilms

Modelling antibiotic resistance transfer in oral biofilms

Plaque biofilms grown in vivo on natural enamel