B. cepacia biofilm

Templeton AS, Trainor TP, Traina SJ, Spormann AM, Brown GE Jr (2001) Pb(II) distribution at biofilm-metal oxide interfaces. Proc Nat Acad Sci USA 98 11897-11902 Templeton AS, Trainor TP, Spormann AM, Brown GE Jr (2002b) Selenium speciation and partitioning within B. cepacia biofilms formed on metal oxide surfaces. Geochim Cosmochim Acta (submitted)... 

Templeton et al. (2002a) used a combination of Pb Lm-XAFS and pXANES spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy to show that B. cepacia causes biomineralization of Pb(II) in the form of highly insoluble pyromorphite at ( ) concentrations well below supersaturation with respect to pyromorphite. The phosphate in these minimal medium experiments is though to be provided by B. cepacia, and the pyromorphite forms on the outer cell membrane of B. cepacia. These types of studies are beginning to provide unique information on how microbial biofilms affect metal sorption processes at mineral surfaces, which is essential for understanding the transport and bioavailability of toxic metal ions in natural systems where such biofilms exist. They are also allowing quantitative evaluation of the competition between NOM (or biofilms) and the mineral substrates they coat for metal ion binding. 

Riedel K, Hentzer M, Geisenberger O, Huber B, Steidle A, Wu H, Hoiby N, Givskov M, Molin S, Eberl L. N-acylhomoserine-lactone-mediated communication between Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Burkholderia cepacia in mixed biofilms. Microbiology 2001 147 3249-3262. 

Huber, B., Riedel, K., Hentzer, M., Heydorn, A., Gotschlich, A., Givskov, M., Molin, S and Eberl, L. (2001) The cep quorum-sensing system of Burkholderia cepacia Hill controls biofilm formation and swarming motility. Microbiology 147, 2517-2528. 

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