Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as nosocomial infections, are illnesses contracted during treatment at a healthcare facility and can result in severe or life-threatening complications. HAIs are caused by microorganisms that exhibit resistance to standard antibiotics. HAIs can lead to...

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Main Authors: Sunil Thomas, Kyle Bittinger, Lawrence L. Livornese
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-02-01
Series:BioTechniques
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07366205.2025.2467550
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author Sunil Thomas
Kyle Bittinger
Lawrence L. Livornese
author_facet Sunil Thomas
Kyle Bittinger
Lawrence L. Livornese
author_sort Sunil Thomas
collection DOAJ
description Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as nosocomial infections, are illnesses contracted during treatment at a healthcare facility and can result in severe or life-threatening complications. HAIs are caused by microorganisms that exhibit resistance to standard antibiotics. HAIs can lead to severe complications, longer stays, and increased mortality, particularly in vulnerable patients. In our previous study, we demonstrated the ability of an engraved Petri dish, referred to as a “biosimulator,” to induce adhesion of non-adherent cells and the microbiome. This paper explores the use of the biosimulator to elucidate the microbiome composition within intensive care units (ICUs) in a hospital setting. The biosimulator, with a nutrient-rich bacterial growth medium, was placed in ICUs for 24 h, then incubated for three days under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we profiled the ICU microbiome from multiple samples. Our findings showed that ICU microbiomes closely mirrored those of patients, with microorganisms in the ICU exhibiting stronger interrelationships than in control conditions. The combined use of the biosimulator and profiling offers an effective approach for analyzing and understanding microbiome changes in healthcare settings, particularly in high-risk areas, such as ICUs.
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spelling doaj-art-4eaff83374c84dfda0da15de4e414b172025-08-20T03:27:57ZengTaylor & Francis GroupBioTechniques0736-62051940-98182025-02-01772667510.1080/07366205.2025.2467550Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospitalSunil Thomas0Kyle Bittinger1Lawrence L. Livornese2Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, PA, USADivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USADepartment of Infectious Disease, Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, PA, USAHospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as nosocomial infections, are illnesses contracted during treatment at a healthcare facility and can result in severe or life-threatening complications. HAIs are caused by microorganisms that exhibit resistance to standard antibiotics. HAIs can lead to severe complications, longer stays, and increased mortality, particularly in vulnerable patients. In our previous study, we demonstrated the ability of an engraved Petri dish, referred to as a “biosimulator,” to induce adhesion of non-adherent cells and the microbiome. This paper explores the use of the biosimulator to elucidate the microbiome composition within intensive care units (ICUs) in a hospital setting. The biosimulator, with a nutrient-rich bacterial growth medium, was placed in ICUs for 24 h, then incubated for three days under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we profiled the ICU microbiome from multiple samples. Our findings showed that ICU microbiomes closely mirrored those of patients, with microorganisms in the ICU exhibiting stronger interrelationships than in control conditions. The combined use of the biosimulator and profiling offers an effective approach for analyzing and understanding microbiome changes in healthcare settings, particularly in high-risk areas, such as ICUs.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07366205.2025.2467550Biosimulatorenvironmental microbiomehealthcare-associated infectionshospitalintensive care unitmicrobiome
spellingShingle Sunil Thomas
Kyle Bittinger
Lawrence L. Livornese
Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
BioTechniques
Biosimulator
environmental microbiome
healthcare-associated infections
hospital
intensive care unit
microbiome
title Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
title_full Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
title_fullStr Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
title_full_unstemmed Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
title_short Utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
title_sort utilizing the biosimulator to analyze the environmental microbiome within the intensive care units of a hospital
topic Biosimulator
environmental microbiome
healthcare-associated infections
hospital
intensive care unit
microbiome
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/07366205.2025.2467550
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AT lawrencellivornese utilizingthebiosimulatortoanalyzetheenvironmentalmicrobiomewithintheintensivecareunitsofahospital