Bacterial biofilms are integrated communities of cells that adhere to surfaces and are fundamental to the ecology and biology of bacteria. Although they possess the machinery to sense, adhere to, and proliferate on surfaces, it is commonly observed that bacteria initially have a difficult time attaching to a surface: Free-swimming, planktonic bacteria exhibit a variable and seemingly random period of transient surface attachment known as “reversible attachment” before committing to a surface, which is not well understood. Using community tracking methods at single-cell resolution, lineage reconstruction techniques, and an exactly soluble stochastic model, we show that different strains develop different coordinated social solutions to surface attachment: Besides attaching itself to the surface, P. aeruginosa PA01 cells use a strategy that also facilitates attachment of spatial neighbors, whereas P. aeruginosa PA14 cells use a complementary strategy that facilitates continued attachment of their progeny. We also investigate how these cells eventually commit to the surface via the pivotal process of “irreversible attachment”, by elucidating the interplay between surface sensing, multigenerational memory via secondary messengers, and resultant modulation of motility appendages and exopolysaccharide production.

Reversible attachment, surface sensing, and memory in early bacterial biofilm development

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

[Author Benefits](https://scimeetings.acs.org/?utm_source=pubs_content_marketing&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=0320_MCF_NPI_Launch_Spring_Homepage&ref=pubs_content_marketing)

[How to use SciMeetings](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMeetings-ACSSpring2020-HowToGuide_M3020-Final.pdf)

[Frequently Asked Questions](https://storage.googleapis.com/dl.morressier.com/acs/SciMtng_ACSNMSp2020_FAQ_M3120_Final.pdf)

ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.