biofilm

Examples of biofilm in the following topics:

• Biofilms and Disease

  • Biofilms form when microorganisms adhere to the surface of some object in a moist environment and begin to reproduce .
  • Biofilm infections develop gradually and often do not cause immediate symptoms.
  • Once an infection by a biofilm is established, it is very difficult to eradicate because biofilms tend to be resistant to most of the methods used to control microbial growth, including antibiotics.
  • Biofilms respond poorly or only temporarily to antibiotics.
  • Give examples of the roles played by biofilms in human diseases

• Extremophiles and Biofilms

  • Biofilms grow attached to surfaces.
  • Some of the best-studied biofilms are composed of prokaryotes, although fungal biofilms have also been described, as well as some composed of a mixture of fungi and bacteria.
  • Five stages of biofilm development are shown.
  • An extracellular matrix composed primarily of polysaccharides holds the biofilm together.
  • Discuss the distinguishing features of extremophiles and the environments that produce biofilms

• Signaling in Bacteria

  • Some species of bacteria that use quorum sensing form biofilms, which are complex colonies of bacteria (often containing several species) that exchange chemical signals to coordinate the release of toxins that attack the host.
  • Bacterial biofilms can sometimes be found on medical equipment.
  • When biofilms invade implants, such as hip or knee replacements or heart pacemakers, they can cause life-threatening infections .
  • Cell-cell communication enables these (a) Staphylococcus aureus bacteria to work together to form a biofilm inside a hospital patient's catheter, seen here via scanning electron microscopy.

• Signaling Molecules and Cellular Receptors

  • Some forms of bacteria coordinate their actions in order to form large complexes called biofilms or to organize the production of toxins to remove competing organisms.

• Pharmacogenomics, Toxicogenomics, and Metagenomics

  • Most microorganisms do not live as isolated entities, but in microbial communities known as biofilms.

• Bacterial Foodborne Diseases

  • Most of the time, prokaryotes colonize food and food-processing equipment in the form of a biofilm.

• The Origins of Archaea and Bacteria

  • Microbial mats or large biofilms may represent the earliest forms of life on earth; there is fossil evidence of their presence starting about 3.5 billion years ago.