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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

Author Spotlight: Studying Host-Microbe Interactions in Wound Biofilm Formation
Published on: June 16, 2023
Modelling antisepsis using defined populations of facultative and anaerobic wound pathogens grown in a basally
Angela Oates1,2, Sharon Lindsay1, Hitesh Mistry1
1a Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health , The University of Manchester , Manchester , UK.
Abstract:
An in vitro model was developed to assess the effects of topical antimicrobials on taxonomically defined wound biofilms. Biofilms were exposed over seven days to povidone-iodine, silver acetate or polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) at concentrations used in wound dressings. The rank order of tolerance in multi-species biofilms, based on an analysis of the average bacterial counts over time was P. aeruginosa > methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) > B. fragilis > S. pyogenes. The rank order of effectiveness for the antimicrobials in the biofilm model was povidone-iodine > PHMB > silver acetate. None of the test compounds eradicated P. aeruginosa or MRSA from the biofilms although all compounds except silver acetate eliminated S. pyogenes. Antimicrobial effectiveness against bacteria grown in multi-species biofilms did not correlate with planktonic susceptibility. Defined biofilm populations of mixed-species wound pathogens could be maintained in the basal perfusion model, facilitating the efficacy testing of treatments regimens and potential dressings against multi-species biofilms composed of wound isolates.
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