Identification of a Novel Benzimidazole That Inhibits Bacterial Biofilm

Bacterial biofilm formation causes significant industrial economic loss and high morbidity and mortality in medical settings. Biofilms are defined as multicellular communities of bacteria encased in a matrix of protective extracellular polymers. Because biofilms have a high tolerance for treatment with antimicrobials, protect bacteria from immune defense, and resist clearance with standard sanitation protocols, it is critical to develop new approaches to prevent biofilm formation. Here, a novel benzimidazole molecule, named antibio-film compound 1 (ABC-1), identified in a small-molecule screen, was found to prevent bacterial biofilm formation in multiple Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including Pseudomonas aerugi-nosa and Staphylococcus aureus, on a variety of different surface types. Importantly, ABC-1 itself does not inhibit the growth of bacteria, and it is effective at nanomolar concentrations. Also, coating a polystyrene surface with ABC-1 reduces biofilm formation. These data suggest ABC-1 is a new chemical scaffold for the development of antibiofilm compounds. Biofilm formation by bacterial pathogens is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality associated with chronic and nosocomial infections. Biofilms are defined as conglomerations of bacterial cells protected by a self-synthesized extrapolymeri