Biofilms are aggregates of bacterial cells, attached to each other and the surface through production of extracellular matrix. Bacteria form biofilms as part of their survival mechanisms. Their metabolism slows down and their gene expression and protein production change. These adaptations make the bacteria more resistant to antimicrobial treatments, human immune response and antibiotic therapies. In order to successfully treat bacterial biofilms in the future, it is necessary to further test and develop novel methods of treatment. Most up to date research of biofilms is conducted under zero flow confitions, which does not adequately represent the conditions of real life clinical problems. This indicates the importance of establishing a robust flow system for biofilm formation that will allow researchers to carry out future experiments. In order to better understand environmental impacts and mechanics on biofilms, it is also necessary to understand the formation of biofilms in different conditions. In the thesis, we tested the robustness of the new flow bioreactor system for biofilm formation. We managed to form the biofilms of E. coli K-12 MG1655, S. capitis and E. coli K-12 MG1655 with inserted mRFP1 plasmid. We adjusted bacterial loading time and rinsing buffer flowrate throughout the experiments. In most experiments, loading time had no effect on the amount of biofilm formed. However, higher flowrates reduced the concentrations of biofilm bacteria. We showed that the novel system is robust enough to allow replication and manipulation of biofilm formation in the various tested bacteria.
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