Validated In Silico Model for Biofilm Formation in <i>Escherichia coli</i>
Purnendu Bhowmik, Sreenath Rajagopal, Rothangamawi Victoria Hmar, Purnima Singh, Pragya Saxena, Prakruthi Amar Kumar, Teby Thomas, Rajani Ravishankar, Savitha Nagaraj, Nainesh Katagihallimath, Ramanujan Kadambi Sarangapani, Vasanthi Ramachandran, Santanu Datta
Abstract
were constructed and assessed. MiaA, YdeO, and YgiV were found to be crucial in biofilm development. Furthermore, qRT-PCR confirmed the elevation of expression in biofilm-forming clinical isolates. Findings reported in this study offer opportunities for identifying biofilm inhibitors with applications in multiple industries. The application of this model can be extended to the health care sector specifically to develop novel adjunct therapies that prevent biofilms in medical implants and reduce emergence of biofilm-associated resistant polymicrobial-chronic infections. The in silico framework reported here is open source and accessible for further enhancements.