Andrew R. Russell

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that is harmless to healthy individuals. However, it has become an emerging pathogen in immunocompromised individuals because it readily forms biofilms on both hospital devices and contact lenses. Furthermore, treatment of resulting infections is often difficult, since this bacterium is naturally resistant to many antibiotics. The goal of this study is to prevent S. maltophilia from forming biofilms on contact lenses in the first place, which should reduce the incidence of eye diseases such as keratitis in immunocompromised individuals. Previous studies have shown that S. maltophilia is capable of cell-to-cell communication through quorum sensing, providing a possible target for biofilm inhibition. We tested several quorum sensing blockers for their ability to prevent S. maltophilia biofilms on contact lenses. One of these compounds, zingerone, reduced both surface biofilms, as well as, growth on coverslips and contact lenses. These results are intriguing, since zingerone is a naturally-occurring compound in ginger. Thus, it could easily be added to contact lens solutions as an extra measure of protection against bacteria that cause eye disease in immunocompromised individuals.