TITLE:
Engineering Microbial Biofilms for Improved Productivity of Biochemicals Important in Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems
AUTHORS:
Mahesh Premarathna, Thilini Rathnathilaka, Gamini Seneviratne, Sumedha Madawala
KEYWORDS:
Biochemicals, Biofilms, Ecosystem Restoration, Extracellular Polymeric Substances
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.13 No.3,
March
8,
2022
ABSTRACT: Biofilms are being engineered in-vitro to produce numerous commodities like
biofertilizers, pharmaceuticals, biofuels and electricity, the efficacies of
which rely on the biochemicals secreted by the biofilms i.e. extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). It has been shown
that once EPS-biochemicals of developed biofilms are applied to an ecosystem,
they can restore degraded complex ecosystem
networks for improved ecosystem functioning and sustainability.
Identification of the EPS biochemicals and understanding their contributions to the network interactions in particular, are at
initial stage. In the present study, using Aspergillus niger, Nostoc sp., and gram
(-) Stenotrophomonas maltophilia & gram (+) Bacillus subtilis as test fungal (F), cyanobacterial (C), and bacterial (B) counterparts,
respectively we analyzed morphology and biochemical
parameters of fungal-bacterial (FBBs), fungal-cyanobacterial (FCBs),
cyanobacterial-bacterial (CBBs), and fungal-cyanobacterial-bacterial biofilms
(FCBBs). Results revealed that the FCBBs produced the highest concentrations of lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides
whereas FBBs generated the highest diversity of biochemicals. Bacterial
type (i.e. gram + or -) and microbial
composition in the biofilm affected the biochemical production. Ecologically
and industrially important diverse biochemicals which are used individually as
medicines, bioremediating agents and industrial chemicals in human society with
certain adverse and beneficial effects were
detected in the biofilm-EPS. However, in the nature, simultaneous action
of those diverse biochemicals applied as biofertilizers has already shown a
huge potential to restore the entire agroecosystems degraded due to farmers’
detrimental practices. This striking difference in utilization of the
biochemicals and their enhanced effect when they act simultaneously needs
further investigations for their better applications.