Detection and Control of Bacterial Biofilms

Abstract

A biofilm is a clump of bacteria living in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) linked to a biotic or abiotic surface, indicating that biofilms can exist on a variety of biotic and abiotic surfaces. Abiotic surfaces include floors, walls, drains, equipment, and food-contact surfaces, as well as biotic surfaces like meat, the oral cavity, the intestine, the urogenital tract, and the skin. Humans are a good source of biotic microenvironments for biofilm and bacterial growth, which leads to infectious diseases in most cases. The optimum biotic environment for bacteria to thrive requires a supply of nutrients, humidity, and the right temperature. Biofilms originate on inert surfaces or dead tissue, and they're frequent on medical devices and dead tissue fragments, but they can also form on living tissues. Biofilms' tolerance to harsh environments provides a favorable habitat for microbial populations, allowing for a more efficient flow of chemicals and information amongst microorganisms. As a result, biofilm resistance is a self-protective strategy for microbial development. Bacterial biofilms are detectable by direct and indirect methods and they could be controlled. Bacterial biofilm is a major cause of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria's development and spread, causing severe infections and increased mortality rates.