Key facts
- A new mechanism allows bacteria to break free from protective biofilms.
- Bacteria produce a hydrogel that absorbs water, generating pressure to expel cells.
- This process enables bacteria to disperse and colonize new locations.
- Researchers were able to induce biofilm disintegration in a laboratory setting without using antibiotics.
- The study was led by scientists at the University of California San Diego and involved Pompeu Fabra University.
An international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of California San Diego and involving Pompeu Fabra University, has identified a previously unknown mechanism that enables bacteria to escape from biofilms. Biofilms are protective structures that shield bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system, contributing to many persistent infections. The study, published in 'Nature Microbiology', describes how certain bacteria produce a hydrogel that absorbs water, creating internal pressure to expel cells from the biofilm. This allows the microorganisms to disperse and colonize other areas. Crucially, the researchers were able to manipulate this mechanism, triggering the disintegration of these bacterial communities in the laboratory without the use of drugs. While this advance offers potential inspiration for future strategies against antibiotic resistance, the authors caution that the work is currently confined to the laboratory and is a long way from clinical application.