Fluorescent nanosensors reveal dynamic pH gradients during biofilm formation

Hollmann, Birte; Perkins, Mark; Chauhan, Veeren M.; Aylott, Jonathan W.; Hardie, Kim R.

Abstract

Understanding the dynamic environmental microniches of biofilms will permit us to detect, manage and exploit these communities. The components and architecture of biofilms have been interrogated in depth; however, little is known about the environmental microniches present. This is primarily because of the absence of tools with the required measurement sensitivity and resolution to detect these changes. We describe the application of ratiometric fluorescent pH-sensitive nanosensors, as a tool, to observe physiological pH changes in biofilms in real time. Nanosensors comprised two pH-sensitive fluorophores covalently encapsulated with a reference pH-insensitive fluorophore in an inert polyacrylamide nanoparticle matrix. The nanosensors were used to analyse the real-time three-dimensional pH variation for two model biofilm formers: (i) opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and (ii) oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans. The detection of sugar metabolism in real time by nanosensors provides a potential application to identify therapeutic solutions to improve oral health.

Citation

Hollmann, B., Perkins, M., Chauhan, V. M., Aylott, J. W., & Hardie, K. R. (2021). Fluorescent nanosensors reveal dynamic pH gradients during biofilm formation. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, 7(1), Article 50. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-021-00221-8

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 12, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jun 17, 2021
• Publication Date: Jun 17, 2021
• Deposit Date: May 25, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 21, 2021
• Journal: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes
• Electronic ISSN: 2055-5008
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 50
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-021-00221-8
• Keywords: Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology; Microbiology; Biotechnology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5570565
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-021-00221-8
• Additional Information: Received: 23 July 2020; Accepted: 12 May 2021; First Online: 17 June 2021; : The authors declare no competing interests.