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Title
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Networks of Resistance: The Hidden Architecture of an ExPEC Biofilm
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Description
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This image captures a bacterial biofilm formed by extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), a major cause of urinary tract infections and bloodstream infections. Illuminated in warm, fiery tones, the dense web of structures reveals how individual bacterial cells organize into a highly coordinated community. What appears abstract and artistic is, in reality, a powerful survival strategy. Within biofilms, bacteria embed themselves in a self-produced matrix that protects them from antibiotics, immune responses, and environmental stress.
My research in the SRI investigates how ExPEC biofilms form, persist, and resist treatment, with the goal of identifying vulnerabilities that could improve therapeutic strategies. This image represents both the beauty and danger of microbial cooperation: intricate, resilient, and difficult to dismantle. This work connects fundamental microbiology to urgent clinical challenges, highlighting the importance of seeing and understanding the unseen worlds that shape human health.
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Date
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2026-01-08
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Creator
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Rousek, Alexis
