Methods and compositions for the modulation of biofilm formation

A method of assessing whether a subject is afflicted with a biofilm-associated disease or disorder, the method comprising comparing:

• a) the level of expression of a biofilm-associated gene in a subject sample, wherein the biofilm-associated gene is selected from the group consisting of the biofilm-associated genes listed in Table 1, with
• b) the level of expression of the biofilm-associated gene in a control non-biofilm producing bacterial sample,
• wherein differential expression of the biofilm-associated gene in the subject sample compared to the non-biofilm producing bacterial sample is an indication that the patient is afflicted with a biofilm-associated disease or disorder, thereby assessing whether a subject is afflicted with a biofilm-associated disease or disorder.

A method for treating a subject having a biofllm-associated disease or disorder comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a biofilm-associated nucleic acid modulator or biofilm-associated polypeptide modulator, thereby treating said subject having a biofilm-associated disease or disorder.

A method for modulating biofilm formation and development comprising contacting biofilm forming bacteria with an effective amount of a biofilm-associated nucleic acid modulator or a biofilm-associated polypeptide modulator, thereby modulating biofilm formation and development.

A method of identifying a biofilm-regulated gene comprising comparing the expression of a bacterial gene from a cell growing in biofilm with the expression of a bacterial gene from a planktonic bacterial cell, wherein a gene which is differentially expressed in a cell growing in biofilm is a biofilm-regulated gene.

A method for identifying a compound capable of modulating antibiotic resistance of a cell comprising:

• a) contacting a cell with a test compound, wherein said cell contains a gene comprising any one of SEQ ID NOs.:1-73 and wherein said gene has been mutated such that the cell exhibits increased antibiotic resistance compared to a wild-type cell;
• and
• b) determining the ability of the test compound to modulate antibiotic resistance of the cell containing the mutated gene as compared to a wild-type cell, thereby identifying a compound capable of modulating antibiotic resistance of a cell.