Gilbert, Eric - Georgia State University

个人简介

Ph.D. Environmental Toxicology University of California at Riverside 1997 Applied and Environmental Microbiology Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry Environmental Toxicology

研究领域

The central focus of research in my laboratory is microbial biofilms, or communities of microorganisms attached to surfaces. Biofilms are widely distributed in nature, and may be beneficial or harmful to humans, depending on the microbes that inhabit them. A common feature to all of our work with biofilms is quantitative analysis of biofilm structure based on biofilms grown in flow cells and imaged by confocal microscopy. This approach allows us to make rigorous examinations of factors affecting biofilm structure, organization and function. In one project, we found that plant essential oil components can affect biofilm formation, and determined that the plant-derived compound cinnamaldehyde inhibited select types of bacterial quorum sensing, or cell-to-cell communication. A related project determined that expression of luxS, the gene encoding autoinducer-2 (AI-2) synthase, altered biofilm structure and cell fimbriation. A second avenue of research in our laboratory is directed towards understanding cooperative interactions in multispecies biofilms. Using a model system, we investigated a commensal relationship where an antibiotic resistant strain of E. coli could aid the survival of an antibiotic sensitive strain, and found that the benefit was conditional, depending on antibiotic concentration. We are currently using the model to investigate mutualistic interactions that contribute to multiple antibiotic resistance. In a third project that diverged from our work on cooperative interactions, we found that biofilms improved the maintenance of high copy number plasmids and also the production of heterologous protein relative to cells in suspended culture. This novel finding could be a beneficial tool for use in metabolic engineering. We are currently working on approaches to cultivate multispecies biofilms with defined compositions. We hope to use our newly-developed techniques in our research on cooperative interactions that foster antibiotic resistance, and to build multispecies biofilms that break down mixed wastes.

近期论文

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Recurrent Aspergillus contamination in a biomedical research facility: a case study. Cornelison CT, Stubblefield B, Gilbert E, Crow SA Jr. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol. 2012 Feb;39(2):329-35. doi: 10.1007/s10295-011-1064-y. Epub 2011 Dec 6. Constructing multispecies biofilms with defined compositions by sequential deposition of bacteria. Stubblefield BA, Howery KE, Islam BN, Santiago AJ, Cardenas WE, Gilbert ES. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2010 May;86(6):1941-6. doi: 10.1007/s00253-010-2473-y. Epub 2010 Feb 24. Agarose stabilization of fragile biofilms for quantitative structure analysis. Pittman KJ, Robbins CM, Osborn JL, Stubblefield BA, Gilbert ES. J Microbiol Methods. 2010 May;81(2):101-7. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2010.02.001. Epub 2010 Feb 10. Influences of biofilm structure and antibiotic resistance mechanisms on indirect pathogenicity in a model polymicrobial biofilm. O'Connell HA, Kottkamp GS, Eppelbaum JL, Stubblefield BA, Gilbert SE, Gilbert ES. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2006 Jul;72(7):5013-9. LuxS influences Escherichia coli biofilm formation through autoinducer-2-dependent and autoinducer-2-independent modalities. Niu C, Robbins CM, Pittman KJ, Osborn jL, Stubblefield BA, Simmons RB, Gilbert ES. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 2013 Mar;83(3):778-91. doi: 10.1111/1574-6941.12034. Epub 2012 Nov 26. Maltodextrin-based imaging probes detect bacteria in vivo with high sensitivity and specificity. Ning X, Lee S, Wang Z, Kim D, Stubblefield B, Gilbert E, Murthy N. Nat Mater. 2011 Jul 17;10(8):602-7. doi: 10.1038/nmat3074. Enhanced swarming of bacteria on agar plates containing the surfactant Tween 80. Niu C, Graves JD, Mokuolu FO, Gilbert SE, Gilbert ES. J Microbiol Methods. 2005 Jul;62(1):129-32. A constructed microbial consortium for biodegradation of the organophosphorus insecticide parathion. Gilbert ES, Walker AW, Keasling JD. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2003 Mar;61(1):77-81. Epub 2003 Jan 16.