Heterogeneous gene expression, metabolic variability and differentiation in Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms

Staphylococcus epidermidis is an opportunistic pathogen forming biofilms on medical devices. S. epidermidis biofilm formation undergoes extensive phenotypic variation which also affects metabolic gene expression. In the project we study the nature and impact of metabolic heterogeneity on the structure and dynamics of biofilms. We aim at the identification of differentially expressed pathways and the co-existence as well as the spatial and quantitative distribution of metabolic variants in S. epidermidis biofilms. The data will be used to underpin theoretical models for describing differentiation in bacterial communities.