Biofilm: A New (Gross) Thing to Worry About

Summary

In this SciShow episode, Hank Green explores the dangers of biofilms, a bacterial colony that produces a sticky organic glue, making them more resilient and effective. Biofilms, which can be found in various environments, are responsible for a wide range of infections, including periodontal disease and chronic ear, sinus, and skin infections. They are particularly concerning due to their antibiotic resistance, which stems from their protective slime matrix. Scientists are researching ways to break down this slime to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics against biofilm infections.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Biofilms are bacterial colonies that produce a sticky organic glue, which helps them adhere to surfaces and each other.
• 🧐 Biofilms are more harmful than planktonic bacteria because they can share resources, communicate, and even swap DNA.
• 🌿 Scientists have discovered that bacteria mostly live in biofilms rather than as individual organisms.
• 😱 Biofilms are responsible for a significant number of human infections, including chronic diseases and periodontal disease.
• 🔬 The slimy matrix of biofilms is composed of complex sugars and proteins, which is similar to the mucus produced by our bodies.
• 💊 Antibiotics often struggle to treat biofilm infections because the bacteria within are up to a thousand times more resistant.
• 🔄 Biofilms can shed individual bacteria, which then can start new infections, making them difficult to eradicate completely.
• ⚕️ In some cases, surgical removal of biofilm-infected tissue is necessary due to their resistance to antibiotics.
• 🔬 Scientists are researching ways to break down the biofilm's protective slime to make antibiotics more effective.
• 📺 SciShow chose not to show images of biofilms in the human body to maintain a comfortable viewing experience.

Q & A

What is biofilm?

Biofilm is a type of bacterial colony that produces a sticky organic glue, which anchors the microorganisms to surfaces and to each other, making them more effective at their functions.

What is the difference between planktonic bacteria and biofilm?

Planktonic bacteria are free-floating and solitary, while biofilm refers to bacteria that live together in a community, anchored by a slimy organic glue.

What benefits do bacteria gain from living in a biofilm?

Bacteria in a biofilm can share nutrients, communicate via signaling proteins, swap DNA, and protect each other, making them more effective at their tasks such as digestion or causing disease.

What is the composition of the slimy substance that holds biofilms together?

The slimy substance is primarily made up of complex sugars called polysaccharides and proteins, forming an infrastructure that supports the bacterial community.

How is biofilm similar to mucus produced by the human body?

The slimy goo that makes up biofilms is chemically similar to mucus, which is also composed of complex sugars and proteins.

What percentage of human infections are estimated to be caused by biofilms?

Scientists estimate that 60 to 80 percent of bacterial infections in humans are caused by biofilms.

Why are biofilms particularly challenging to treat?

Biofilms are challenging to treat because their thick, slimy matrix often makes them antibiotic-resistant, and they can periodically shed individual bacteria to start new infections.

What is one common example of biofilm that people might be familiar with?

Plaque, which is responsible for periodontal disease, is a common example of biofilm that contains up to 500 different species of bacteria.

What other diseases are associated with biofilms?

Other diseases associated with biofilms include cystic fibrosis, Legionnaires disease, and chronic ear, sinus, and skin infections.

What are scientists doing to combat biofilms?

Scientists are researching biofilms to understand how they work, with the aim of developing drugs that can break down the biofilm's slimy structure to enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics.

Why did SciShow decide not to show images or footage of biofilms in the human body?

SciShow made a conscious decision not to show images or footage of biofilms in the human body to avoid potentially distressing or grossing out the viewers.

Outlines

00:00

🦠 Introduction to Biofilms

Hank Green introduces the topic of biofilms, a type of bacterial colony that produces a sticky organic glue to anchor microorganisms to surfaces and to each other, forming a community that is more effective than individual bacteria. Biofilms can be both beneficial and harmful, aiding in digestion or causing diseases like cholera. The video script explains that bacteria often live in biofilms rather than as individual, free-floating planktonic bacteria. The slime they produce is similar to mucus and allows for nutrient sharing, communication, and even DNA swapping among different bacteria, making them difficult to treat with antibiotics.

Keywords

💡Biofilm

Biofilm is a community of microorganisms, often bacteria, that are embedded within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances. In the video, biofilms are described as a type of bacterial colony that produces a sticky organic glue, which allows them to anchor to surfaces and to each other. This makes them more resilient and potentially harmful, as they can be more resistant to antibiotics and harder to treat. The video emphasizes the role of biofilms in causing a wide range of human infections and their ability to form in almost any environment.

💡Slime

Slime, in the context of the video, refers to the sticky organic glue produced by biofilms. This substance is a complex mixture of polysaccharides and proteins that serves as an adhesive and protective matrix for the bacterial colony. The term 'slime' is used metaphorically to describe the biofilm's physical properties and its role in making bacteria more dangerous by facilitating their ability to adhere to surfaces and resist treatments.

💡Planktonic bacteria

Planktonic bacteria are free-floating, individual bacteria that are not part of a biofilm. The video contrasts planktonic bacteria with those in biofilms, highlighting that while planktonic bacteria can be more easily targeted by the immune system and antibiotics, biofilms provide a protective environment that makes the bacteria within them much harder to eliminate.

💡Polysaccharides

Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates that are a major component of the biofilm's sticky matrix. The video explains that this matrix, composed largely of polysaccharides along with proteins, creates a supportive infrastructure for bacterial communities. The presence of polysaccharides in the slime contributes to the biofilm's strength and resistance to external threats.

💡Mucus

Mucus is a substance produced by the human body, similar in composition to the slime produced by biofilms. The video draws a parallel between the body's mucus and the bacterial slime, suggesting that while mucus serves a protective role for humans, the biofilm's slime allows bacteria to thrive and resist treatments. This comparison helps to illustrate the complexity and functionality of the biofilm's matrix.

💡Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance refers to the ability of bacteria to withstand the effects of antibiotics. The video explains that biofilms are particularly problematic in this regard, as they can be up to a thousand times more resistant to antibiotics than planktonic bacteria. This resistance is due in part to the protective nature of the biofilm matrix, which can shield bacteria from the action of antibiotics.

💡Infections

Infections caused by biofilms are a central theme of the video. It is mentioned that biofilms are responsible for a significant percentage of human bacterial infections, including periodontal disease, cystic fibrosis, Legionnaires disease, and various chronic ear, sinus, and skin infections. The video emphasizes the difficulty in treating these infections due to the biofilm's resistance and the bacteria's ability to re-infect from the biofilm.

💡Surgical removal

Surgical removal is a treatment option mentioned in the video for biofilm infections that cannot be effectively treated with antibiotics alone. In some cases, the biofilm's tenacity and resistance require the physical removal of the infected tissue to prevent the spread of infection. This highlights the severity of biofilm-related health issues and the challenges they pose to medical treatments.

💡DNA swapping

DNA swapping is a process by which bacteria can exchange genetic material, which is facilitated by the close proximity of bacteria within a biofilm. The video suggests that this ability allows bacteria to share beneficial traits, such as antibiotic resistance, making biofilms even more challenging to combat. This genetic exchange is a key factor in the adaptability and resilience of biofilm communities.

💡Scientific research

Scientific research on biofilms is highlighted in the video as a crucial step towards finding solutions to biofilm-related health issues. The video mentions that scientists are studying biofilms to understand how they work, with the goal of developing drugs that can break down the biofilm matrix and make bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. This research is presented as a hopeful avenue for combating the challenges posed by biofilms.

Highlights

Biofilm is a bacterial colony that produces a sticky organic glue called 'slime'.

Biofilm makes bacteria exponentially more effective at their functions, whether beneficial or harmful.

Bacteria often live in biofilms rather than as individual planktonic bacteria.

Biofilms allow bacteria to share resources, protect each other, and communicate through signaling proteins.

The slimy substance of biofilms is similar to mucus and is composed of polysaccharides and proteins.

Biofilms can swap DNA, allowing the passing of genes among different bacteria.

60 to 80 percent of bacteria causing human infections live as biofilms.

Biofilms can form in any environment with water, from hot springs to the human mouth.

Plaque, a well-known biofilm, can contain up to 500 different species of bacteria and is a leading cause of periodontal disease.

Other biofilms can cause serious infections like cystic fibrosis, Legionnaires disease, and chronic ear, sinus, and skin infections.

Biofilms' thick matrix often makes them resistant to antibiotics.

Biofilms can shed individual bacteria to start new infections, making them difficult to eradicate with antibiotics.

In some cases, surgical removal of biofilm-infected tissue is necessary.

Scientists are researching biofilms to develop drugs that can break down the slime and enhance the effectiveness of antibiotics.

SciShow consciously decided not to show images or footage of biofilms in the human body to maintain viewer comfort.

Stay informed about scientific discoveries by subscribing to SciShow on YouTube.

Transcripts

hello I'm Hank green welcome to scishow

where we love slime slime is great

except when it's the wrong kind of slime

and when I say the wrong kind I mean the

kind that can kill you

biofilm also sometimes referred to as

slime is a type of bacterial colony that

produces a sticky organic glue which

anchors the microorganisms to whatever

service they fancy and also to each

other making them exponentially better /

worse than they would otherwise be it's

also the latest addition to my list of

things I wish it didn't have to worry

about we didn't think of bacteria as

freewheel and loners making their way

through the world all by themselves and

sometimes they are that way those are

called planktonic bacteria but

scientists are beginning to realize that

bacteria actually spend most of their

lives as biofilm which makes them way

way way better at doing what they do

whether it's helping us digest food or

killing us with cholera just as living

in towns and cities makes us more

effective as a species bacteria living

together as biofilm allows them to divvy

up labour protect each other and share

food and that frees up more time and

resources to do the stuff like digesting

in the killing their secret is the slimy

goo that many bacteria secrete made up

mostly of complex sugars called

polysaccharides along with some proteins

to form this sort of infrastructure of

these bacterial towns this concoction of

chemicals is actually very similar to a

substance our own bodies create and that

you may be familiar with mucus through

this slime different bacteria can share

nutrients in water they can also send

signaling proteins to let them

communicate they can even swap DNA to

pass along their genes it's like the

invited freakin Nations of germs up in

there because this structure makes

microorganisms so successful scientists

estimate that 60 to 80 percent of the

bacteria that cause human infection

actually live as biofilm and because the

only thing they need to start a colony

is water they pretty much form in every

environment on earth from super hot hot

springs to the inside of your mouth in

fact if you rub your tongue along your

teeth right now you can probably feel

maybe even taste the most widely known

form of biofilm plaque which is actually

a biofilm that contains up to 500

different species of bacteria and is the

number one cause of periodontal disease

other biofilms are responsible for even

gnarlier infections like cystic fibrosis

Legionnaires disease and all kinds of

chronic ear sinus and skin infections to

make matters worse their thick slimy

matrix often makes biofilms antibiotic

resistant one study found that bacteria

in biofilm were a thousand times more

resistant to antibiotics than the same

bacteria where when they were on their

own but the real city as part is that

biofilms periodically shed their

individual bacteria which then go off

and start their own infections while

antibiotics can kill these planktonic

bacteria often making everything seem

cool for a while the biofilm Deathstar

is just hanging out there waiting to

release more of its little thai fighters

to attack the body again as a result

biofilm infected tissue sometimes has to

be removed surgically there that

tenacious so I know it's gross and also

it's scary so what are scientists doing

to protect me and also you but more

importantly me from biofilms well for

now scientists are finding out more

about them and how they work so that

they can develop drugs that can break

down the slime in order to help the

antibiotics work at the bacteria within

the film and what are we doing here at

scishow well just know that we made a

conscious decision to not show you any

actual images or footage of biofilms in

the human body so be thankful for that

and have a good day

and if you want to keep it in smarter

with us here at scishow you can go to

youtube.com/scishow and subscribe

you