Analysis of Pathogenic Bacterial and Yeast Biofilms Using the Combination of Synchrotron ATR-FTIR Microspectroscopy and Chemometric Approaches
Samuel Cheeseman,
Z. L. Shaw,
Jitraporn Vongsvivut,
Russell J. Crawford,
Madeleine F. Dupont,
Kylie J. Boyce,
Sheeana Gangadoo,
Saffron J. Bryant,
Gary Bryant,
Daniel Cozzolino,
James Chapman,
Aaron Elbourne,
Vi Khanh Truong
Affiliations
Samuel Cheeseman
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Z. L. Shaw
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Jitraporn Vongsvivut
Infrared Microspectroscopy Beamline, ANSTO Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
Russell J. Crawford
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Madeleine F. Dupont
School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Kylie J. Boyce
School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Sheeana Gangadoo
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Saffron J. Bryant
School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Gary Bryant
School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Daniel Cozzolino
Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
James Chapman
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Aaron Elbourne
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Vi Khanh Truong
Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
Biofilms are assemblages of microbial cells, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and other components extracted from the environment in which they develop. Within biofilms, the spatial distribution of these components can vary. Here we present a fundamental characterization study to show differences between biofilms formed by Gram-positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the yeast-type Candida albicans using synchrotron macro attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microspectroscopy. We were able to characterise the pathogenic biofilms’ heterogeneous distribution, which is challenging to do using traditional techniques. Multivariate analyses revealed that the polysaccharides area (1200–950 cm−1) accounted for the most significant variance between biofilm samples, and other spectral regions corresponding to amides, lipids, and polysaccharides all contributed to sample variation. In general, this study will advance our understanding of microbial biofilms and serve as a model for future research on how to use synchrotron source ATR-FTIR microspectroscopy to analyse their variations and spatial arrangements.
