Human pathogens in plant biofilms: Formation, physiology, and detection

Area of Science:

• Food safety
• Microbiology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Fresh produce is a vital part of a healthy diet but can harbor foodborne pathogens like bacteria and viruses.
• Pathogenic microorganisms can colonize plant tissues, forming biofilms and using plants as vectors to infect humans.
• Bacterial life cycles in plants differ from those in animals, altering their properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore mechanisms of plant contamination by microorganisms.
• To investigate the role of biofilms in pathogen transmission from plants to humans.
• To evaluate hollow fiber microfiltration for concentrating plant-associated microbes.

Main Methods:

• Review of microbial colonization and biofilm formation on vegetables.
• Exploration of hollow fiber microfiltration for concentrating microorganisms.
• Investigation of enzyme application to aid microfiltration by hydrolyzing macromolecules and reducing membrane fouling.

Main Results:

• Hollow fiber microfiltration can rapidly concentrate microorganisms from plant tissues.
• Enzymes effectively disintegrate biofilms and minimize membrane fouling during microfiltration.
• This technique facilitates the study of microbial properties and plant contamination mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Hollow fiber microfiltration offers a promising tool for studying plant-associated human pathogens.
• Enzyme-assisted microfiltration enhances the efficiency of microbial concentration and analysis.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for improving food safety and preventing infections from fresh produce.