Office of Research Services (ORS)

Gideon M. Wolfaardt

Canada Research Chair in Environmental Interfaces and Biofilms

Ryerson University
Tier 2 - April 1, 2004
Natural Sciences and Engineering

(416) 979-5000 ext. 6357
gwolfaar@ryerson.ca

Research Involves

Characterizing biofilms and extracellular polymeric substances and the interactions between microbial communities and their physical, biological, and chemical environment.

Research Relevance

The research seeks to improve our understanding of the biofilm mode of microbial existence in order to control undesirable biofilm formation and overcome our frequent failures to optimize biofilms for desirable applications.

Living with Biofilm: Control and Design

Biofilms are composed of populations or communities of microorganisms that adhere to various surfaces. They are found in drinking and purified water systems and paper manufacturing and heat exchangers, as well as in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, medical, and electronic industries, where they often interfere with processes and products.
Where biofilms grow, biofouling and biodeterioration can develop, incurring heavy financial costs related to treatment strategies (which can be bad for the environment), system failure, and products of inferior quality. Biofilms, however, also serve a useful function in certain environmental and engineered systems. Either way—whether we want to discourage or encourage biofilm growth—more needs to be known especially in the areas of the ecology, physiology, and genetics of cells contained as biofilm.

Dr. Gideon Wolfaardt is particularly interested in the interactions and other forms of adaptive behaviour found in biofilms. He has contributed to the development of methods to study these microbial structures, and has pioneered work that demonstrates that biofilm communities show a notable degree of organization.

As the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Interfaces and Biofilms, Dr. Wolfaardt is studying how biofilm formation improves the survival fitness of microbial communities. He hopes to provide specific information on their behaviour and growth requirements, information that could help in the manipulation of microbial activity for biotechnological applications. To investigate biofilm form and function, he is employing a combination of molecular and microbiological studies including advanced optical microscopy. In addition, he is examining the contribution made by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to a functioning biofilm. This includes defining the role of EPS in attenuating and inactivating antimicrobials and biocides, and understanding their significance in carbon flow through trophic levels and ecological relationships.