Winner of 1st prize in the “Protein Science in Images” 2024 competition

Author

Name: Mélanie Côté-Cyr
Affiliation: UQAM
Year of competition: 2024, 1st prize winner of the ” Protein Science in Images ” competition.

Photo title

Tightly-woven bacteria

Photo description

Bacterial biofilms are living structures that are the subject of numerous studies in the field of biomaterials. This scanning electron microscopy image shows the biofilm of Bacillus subtilis, a bacterium recognized as safe and naturally found in soils. This biofilm is mainly composed of bacteria, and saccharides (sugars) and proteins produced by these bacteria. As can be seen in this image, some of these proteins self-assemble into a dense network of filaments, giving the biofilm strength and holding the bacteria together. Proteins and bacteria can also be modified to perform new functions. Indeed, the living, robust nature of bacterial biofilms makes them a prime inspiration for materials engineering with environmental applications, such as the detection, capture and degradation of pollutants in contaminated soil and water.