Center for Biofilm Engineering  

Research Program

Biofilm-related problems cost US industry billions of dollars annually by corroding pipes, reducing heat transfer or hydraulic pressure in industrial cooling systems, plugging water injection jets, and clogging water filters. In addition, biofilms cause major medical problems through infecting host tissues, harboring bacteria that contaminate drinking water, and causing rejection of medical implants. CBE scientists and engineers are developing promising solutions to these biofilm-related problems.

However, an equally strong CBE focus is exploiting the potential of biofilms for pollution prevention and control. Key environmental technologies being pioneered by CBE include biobarriers to prevent pollution, such as: contamination of groundwater by mine leaching; biofilms for bioremediation of contaminated soil and water; vapor-phase biofilters to prevent industrial air pollution; use of biofilms for waste-water treatment; and new, less polluting industrial processes such as biohydrometallurgy for extraction of metals in mining and biofilm technology to inhibit "souring" of oil fields and reduce production of hydrogen sulfide. In all, twelve key CBE technologies are currently being developed or evaluated.

The Center's approach in investigating biofilm processes requires the establishment of integrated teams of scientists, engineers, and industrial practitioners with collective expertise in microbiology, biochemistry, process engineering, computer science, statistics, physics, and surface science. All projects carried out within the Center are organized by such multidisciplinary teams. Because the research project teams are necessarily multidisciplinary, research integration is a major concern.

The following show the Center's major areas of research.

• Bioavailability
• Biofilm Control
       Antimicrobials
• Bioelectrochemistry (formerly biomineralization)
• Industrial and Drinking Water Treatment
          Biological Pretreatment
          Drinking Water
• Medical Biofilms
          Wound Biofilms
• Physiology and Ecology
• Souring
• Standardized Biofilm Methods
• Structure-Function
• Subsurface Biotechnology & Bioremediation

In addition, the Center's Technology Transfer Program enables direct involvement by member companies in sponsoring Research Initiatives that address a variety of biofilm applications. Center students and faculty work closely with industrial scientists and engineers in addressing real-world problems.

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