Antibiotic and Physical Treatments Shift Multispecies Staphylococcal Biofilm Growth Behaviors and Structures

We report that the growth behavior and structure of multispecies staphylococcal biofilms was sensitive to antibiotic and physical treatment conditions. Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis commonly adhere to medical device surfaces (i.e. orthopedic implants) and subsequently form bacterial biofilms that can contribute to infection and virulence. However, little is known about the growth behavior and structure of these strains in multispecies communities. Here we establish that S. aureus has a higher prevalence than S. epidermidis in unstressed growth conditions. We report the structural changes of single and multispecies staphylococcal biofilms during 18-hours of surface colonization and biofilm formation. Finally, we assess the variations in multispecies staphylococcal biofilm growth behavior while undergoing antibiotic (vancomycin) and physical (pH, temperature) treatments. Understanding variations in multispecies staphylococcal behavior in different growth environments is important for guiding treatments that disrupt multispecies biofilms at infection sites.