Investigation of the role of Free DNA in the formation of Bacterial Biofilm

Abstract

Bacteriophage also known as bacterial virus are considered as natural enemy of bacteria since their discovery. In many medical settings, bacteriophages are used to eliminate bacteria from bacterial infected region. In our environment, the increase or decrease of bacteriophage depends on season. Naturally rise in bacteriophage will infect more bacteria resulting in the decrease of bacteria population and vice versa. Bacteriophage injects their genetic material into the bacterial cell and replicate inside it. The viral predators burst open the bacterial cell and come out of it. All the bacterial cellular components are released in the environment including bacterial DNA. Under such adverse condition bacteria will form biofilm and shield themselves from these bacterial viruses. In this study we will try to establish if the bacterial DNA provided by the bacteriophage helps in biofilm formation of bacteria.