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It's easy to imagine bacteria as tiny green organisms – perhaps wriggling on a Petri dish as a scientist peers at them with the aid of a microscope. But for microbiologist Gideon Wolfaardt, who teaches in the Department of Chemistry and Biology, the key to understanding these tiny entities is to examine them in the context of a complete ecosystem.

"We study them in test tubes, but that's not how they grow in nature," says Wolfaardt. Instead, bacteria often cluster together by the millions, in thin layers, clinging to both man-made and natural surfaces, from the slime on your shower walls to the plaque on your teeth. The result is a structure known as a "biofilm" – a complex microbial "society," so to speak, with countless organisms growing and co-evolving in ways that scientists are just beginning to understand.

Wolfaardt, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Interfaces and Biofilms (awarded in 2004 and renewed in 2009), is one of the world's leading authorities on biofilms. These slimy structures occur in a staggering array of environments, he explains, and they can be either harmful or helpful, depending on how they function. They can be found in medical, pharmaceutical, and industrial settings, where they can interfere with chemical processing and manufacturing. In hospitals, they can be particularly dangerous, allowing for the spread of infectious diseases. But biofilms can also be used to improve public health – for example, by neutralizing dangerous compounds in a water purification plant. Whether dangerous or beneficial, it's crucial for scientists to gain a deeper understanding of biofilms and how they grow.

"Whatever the environment is, the same principles apply, and we want to understand those principles," says Wolfaardt. "How do biofilms grow, and why are they so successful? And how can we manage and manipulate them under specific conditions?"

The study of biofilms is interdisciplinary by its very nature, and the list of institutions and private-sector partners that Wolfaardt has collaborated with is a lengthy one: It includes the University of Toronto and seven other Canadian universities; Dartmouth College in New Hampshire; and four corporate partners, including the Saskatchewan-based uranium giant, Cameco. At present, he shares his bustling lab at Ryerson with three post-docs, three PhD students, and five MSc students.

Among Wolfaardt's many current projects is an investigation of biofilm-based processes for converting industrial and agricultural waste into biofuels. It's a field that's under increasing scrutiny: in developing countries, some 30 per cent of energy needs are met with biofuel; at the same time, there is a danger of producing such fuels at the cost of reduced food production. Are biofuels "just a wild pipe dream," Wolfaardt asks, or are they something that can contribute to energy security and sustainability? "I'm privileged to work in a field that is so relevant," Wolfaardt says.

Dan Falk, Journalism '92, is a science journalist based in Toronto.

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