25th Annual Student Research Conference
Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model for Staphylococcus epidermidis Biofilm Formation
Terin E. Budine* and Alicia E. Hoeglund
Dr. Timothy D. Walston, Faculty Mentor
Staphylococcus epidermidis infections can give rise to biofilms that adhere to surgically implanted devices such as catheters and joint-replacements. These infections are highly drug-resistant and can be life threatening. One method of treating these infections could be disrupting biofilm formation, making the bacteria more susceptible to antibiotics. Quorum-sensing inhibitors disrupt signals between bacteria and prevent the formation of a biofilm. Previous studies have shown that S. epidermidis are lethal to C. elegans, and biofilm formation was the likely cause of death. The evolutionarily-conserved responses to bacterial infection between C. elegans and higher-level organisms make C. elegans a cheap and efficient model for understanding how biofilms form in mammals and testing possible treatments. The goal of this study is to assess the ability of quorum-sensing inhibitors to lower the lethality of S. epidermidis infections.
Keywords: C. elegans, S. epidermidis, Model organism
Topic(s):Biology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 200-1
Location: Georgian Room - SUB
Time: 3:30