• HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

Investigators identify optimal conditions for growth of Legionella bacteria

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 6, 2017
in Science News
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Washington, DC – January 6, 2017 – The bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease grow well in warm tap water installations with ample dissolved organic matter–conditions that support the growth of biofilms. The research is published January 6th in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

The team of Dutch scientists conducting the research was motivated by large outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease to find out what conditions favored growth of the responsible bacterium, Legionella pneumophila, on surfaces exposed to drinking water, said first author Dick van der Kooij, PhD, recently retired as Principal Microbiologist at KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Nieuwegein, the Netherlands, where this research was conducted.

In the study, the investigators developed a model system that enabled measurement of biofilm formation and growth of Legionella exposed to drinking water without disinfectant, under controlled hydraulic conditions. They used this system to compare a water supply system with a very low concentration of dissolved organic matter with a water supply with a high concentration.

"Drinking water prepared from aerobic groundwater with a low concentration of dissolved natural organic matter induced a very low biofilm concentration that did not support growth of L. pneumophila," said van der Kooij. "Drinking water from two other sources with higher concentrations of organic matter induced higher biofilm concentrations that supported Legionella growth." Legionella bacteria grew exponentially in relation to biofilm concentration, said van der Kooij. Below a threshold concentration of biofilm, Legionella did not multiply.

"Our research demonstrated that microgram-per-liter concentrations of biodegradable compounds in warm drinking water can induce sufficient bacterial growth on surfaces for proliferation of the amoebae that support growth of Legionella," said van der Kooij. "Heating the water increases the concentration of biodegradable compounds, thereby promoting biofilm formation."

Young biofilms support a high concentration of bacterial species that serve as prey for amoebae, and the latter, in turn, serve as hosts for L. pneumophila, said van der Kooij. The amoebae are important because they supply amino acids required by the Legionella.

Legionella pneumophila cause more than 10,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease annually, worldwide, including most of the drinking water associated outbreaks in the US. Legionnaires' disease is a life-threatening form of pneumonia that was first identified in an outbreak at a convention of members of the American Legion, in Philadelphia, in 1976. The organism is common in drinking water systems in hotels, hospitals, and homes.

###

Media Contact

Aleea Khan
[email protected]
202-942-9365
@ASMnewsroom

http://www.asm.org

############

Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag

Share12Tweet7Share2ShareShareShare1

Related Posts

Dr Katie Douglas

“Quake brain” effects suffered by resilient Cantabrians fade over time – study

June 29, 2022
Stephen Kingsmore, MD, DSc

Dr. Stephen Kingsmore receives prestigious Precision Medicine World Conference 2022 Luminary Award

June 29, 2022

New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability

June 29, 2022

Monitoring COVID-19: Could medicine found in wastewater provide an early warning?

June 29, 2022
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Pacific whiting

    Oregon State University research finds evidence to suggest Pacific whiting skin has anti-aging properties that prevent wrinkles

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • University of Miami Rosenstiel School selected for National ‘Reefense’ Initiative focusing on Florida and the Caribbean

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9
  • Saving the Mekong delta from drowning

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • Sharks may be closer to the city than you think, new study finds

    34 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Tags

UrbanizationWeather/StormsVehiclesWeaponryVaccinesUrogenital SystemVirusVaccineZoology/Veterinary ScienceViolence/CriminalsUniversity of WashingtonVirology

Recent Posts

  • “Quake brain” effects suffered by resilient Cantabrians fade over time – study
  • Dr. Stephen Kingsmore receives prestigious Precision Medicine World Conference 2022 Luminary Award
  • New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability
  • Monitoring COVID-19: Could medicine found in wastewater provide an early warning?
  • Contact Us

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Posting....