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Chibeu, A., Lingohr, E.J., Masson, L., Manges, A., Harel, J., Ackermann, H.W., Kropinski, A.M. and Boerlin, P. (2012) Bacteriophages with the Ability to Degrade Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Biofilms. Viruses, 4, 471-487.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Disruption of Mycobacterium smegmatis Biofilms Using Bacteriophages Alone or in Combination with Mechanical Stress

  AUTHORS: Brendan Kiefer, John L. Dahl

  KEYWORDS: Mycobacterium smegmatis, Biofilm, Mycobacteriophage, Bacteriophage

  JOURNAL NAME: Advances in Microbiology, Vol.5 No.10, September 25, 2015

  ABSTRACT: Environmental mycobacteria are capable of forming biofilms in low-nutrient environments, and these biofilms may act as reservoirs for opportunistic infections. The purpose of this study was to determine if bacteriophages could disrupt existing biofilms of acid-fast staining Mycobacterium smegmatis. Using the MBEC 96-well plastic peg assay system, M. smegmatis biofilms were created and then tested for their stability in the presence of mycobacteriophages isolated from a Minnesota sphagnum peat bog. All phages tested were lytic and were observed to have weak, intermediate, and strong abilities to disrupt M. smegmatis biofilms. The formation of biofilms was severely impaired in the presence of mycobacteriophages. Phage treatment was also shown to augmentM. smegmatis biofilm disruption by mechanical forces of sonication or water flow. Our study shows that, as with biofilms of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, mycobacterial biofilms are also susceptible to destruction by bacteriophages.