Journal ArticleDOI
Biofilms: an emergent form of bacterial life.
Hans-Curt Flemming,Jost Wingender,Ulrich Szewzyk,Peter D. Steinberg,Scott A. Rice,Staffan Kjelleberg +5 more
TLDR
The fundamental role of the biofilm matrix is considered, describing how the characteristic features of biofilms — such as social cooperation, resource capture and enhanced survival of exposure to antimicrobials — all rely on the structural and functional properties of the matrix.Abstract:
Bacterial biofilms are formed by communities that are embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Importantly, bacteria in biofilms exhibit a set of 'emergent properties' that differ substantially from free-living bacterial cells. In this Review, we consider the fundamental role of the biofilm matrix in establishing the emergent properties of biofilms, describing how the characteristic features of biofilms - such as social cooperation, resource capture and enhanced survival of exposure to antimicrobials - all rely on the structural and functional properties of the matrix. Finally, we highlight the value of an ecological perspective in the study of the emergent properties of biofilms, which enables an appreciation of the ecological success of biofilms as habitat formers and, more generally, as a bacterial lifestyle.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Implant infections: adhesion, biofilm formation and immune evasion
TL;DR: The fundamental pathogenic mechanisms underlying implant infections are explored, highlighting orthopaedic implants and Staphylococcus aureus as a prime example, and innovative targets for preventive and therapeutic strategies are discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Targeting microbial biofilms: current and prospective therapeutic strategies.
TL;DR: This Review focuses on current therapeutic strategies and those under development that target vital structural and functional traits of microbial biofilms and drug tolerance mechanisms, including the extracellular matrix and dormant cells.
Journal ArticleDOI
The oral microbiota: dynamic communities and host interactions.
TL;DR: Current knowledge and emerging mechanisms governing oral polymicrobial synergy and dysbiosis that have both enhanced the understanding of pathogenic mechanisms and aided the design of innovative therapeutic approaches for oral diseases are discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Bacteria and archaea on Earth and their abundance in biofilms
TL;DR: It is proposed that biofilms drive all biogeochemical processes and represent the main way of active bacterial and archaeal life and are the most prominent and influential type of microbial life.
Journal ArticleDOI
Antibiotics versus biofilm: an emerging battleground in microbial communities
TL;DR: CRISPR-CAS (gene editing technique) and photo dynamic therapy (PDT) are proposed to be used as therapeutic approaches to subside bacterial biofim infections, especially caused by deadly drug resistant bad bugs.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
The biofilm matrix
TL;DR: The functions, properties and constituents of the EPS matrix that make biofilms the most successful forms of life on earth are described.
Book ChapterDOI
Organisms as ecosystem engineers
TL;DR: The role that many organisms play in the creation, modification and maintenance of habitats does not involve direct trophic interactions between species, but they are nevertheless important and common.
Journal ArticleDOI
Bacterial biofilms in nature and disease.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biofilms as complex differentiated communities.
TL;DR: It is submitted that complex cell-cell interactions within prokaryotic communities are an ancient characteristic, the development of which was facilitated by the localization of cells at surfaces, which may have provided the protective niche in which attached cells could create a localized homeostatic environment.
Journal ArticleDOI
Inclusion of facilitation into ecological theory
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of facilitation in the organization of terrestrial and aquatic communities has been investigated, and the importance of a wide variety of facilitative interactions has been considered.