(568c) Living Biofouling-Resistant Membranes with Probiotic Biofilms

Membrane systems are being increasingly used for water treatment, recycling water from wastewater, during food processing, and energy production. They are thus a key technology to ensure water, energy and food sustainability. However, biofouling, the build-up of microbes and their polymeric matrix, clogs these systems and reduces their efficiency. Realizing that a microbial film is inevitable, we engineered a beneficial biofilm that prevents membrane biofouling by limiting its own thickness by sensing the number of its cells that are present via a quorum-sensing circuit. The beneficial biofilm also prevents biofilm formation by deleterious bacteria by secreting nitric oxide, a general biofilm dispersal agent as demonstrated by both short-term dead-end filtration and long-term crossflow filtration tests. In addition, the beneficial biofilm was engineered to produce an epoxide hydrolase so that it efficiently removes the environmental pollutant epichlorohydrin. Thus, we have created a living biofouling-resistant membrane system that simultaneously reduces biofouling while providing a platform for biodegradation of persistent organic pollutants.¹

References:

1. Wood, T. L.; Guha, R.; Tang, L.; Geitner, M.; Kumar, M.; Wood, T. K.: Living biofouling-resistant membranes as a model for the beneficial use of engineered biofilms. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2016 (doi:10.1073/pnas.1521731113)