JUST THE BASICS

Bacteria live all over our bodies, including our sinuses. Most of the bacteria found on our bodies does not cause us harm, and it can even help us by “crowding out” bad bacteria so there is no room for it to grow. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the harmful bacteria that can take up residence in our sinuses and cause a sinus infection. S. aureus sinus infections can be hard to clear with antibiotics because they can form a protective coating around the bacteria called a “biofilm.” This protective structure makes it harder for antibiotics and our immune systems to destroy the bacteria.

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Bacterial biofilms are made of proteins secreted by bacteria, bacterial DNA, and broken-down bacterial cells. This forms a protein scaffold that bacteria can cling to as their colonies multiply. Biofilms really do form tower shapes, just like our own cities! After the tower-like colonies reach a certain size, microcolonies break off and disperse to new areas of infection. Bacterial biofilms can contain one type of bacteria, or may have multiple species living together in harmony.

To be published in the September 2024 Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology