A simple diagnostic platform reveals shear stress as critical in biofilm development

Abstract

Biofilms are complex microbial communities that exhibit increased tolerance to antibiotics, posing significant challenges in treating chronic infections and highlighting the need for more accurate and personalized diagnostic approaches, as well as simple and accessible platforms for growing biofilms under controlled flow conditions that better mimic in vivo environments. The XpertBiofilm is a novel platform designed to reproduce dynamic flow conditions by applying controlled shear stress, enabling a more realistic simulation of biofilm formation while allowing straightforward downstream analysis. Using this platform, we demonstrated a direct relationship between shear stress and biofilm biomass formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the XpertBiofilm was successfully validated for diagnostic applications using both clinical P. aeruginosa strains and direct sputum samples from cystic fibrosis patients, accurately reflecting their known susceptibility profiles and supporting the platform’s potential to enable better patient treatment selection. Overall, the XpertBiofilm provides a reliable, user-friendly, and physiologically relevant platform for studying biofilms and evaluating therapeutic strategies, offering strong potential for both basic research and personalized clinical diagnostics.