Author(s): Caden Wheeler, Ethan Carter, Aidan Nielsen
Mentor(s): Michele Culumber
Institution Weber
Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of healthcare-associated infections, largely due to its ability to form resilient biofilms on medical devices such as catheters and implants. These biofilms protect the bacteria from antibiotics, making infections difficult to treat. This study investigates the potential of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a probiotic strain, to inhibit the growth of S. aureus biofilms. Using a series of plating techniques and spectrophotometric analysis, we assessed the ability of L. rhamnosus to reduce S. aureus growth. Preliminary results indicate that S. aureus bioiflm co-cultured with L. rhamnosus can effectively reduce bacterial growth. Additional literature suggests that alternative methods of growing the species might also show impactful reduction of biofilm growth.