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Biofilms affect the lives of all of us, growing as they do for example on our teeth (as plaque), on catheters and medical implants in our bodies, on our boats and ships, in food processing environments, and in drinking and industrial water treatment systems. They are highly complex biological communities whose detailed structure and functioning is
The ability to form biofilms is a universal attribute of bacteria. Bacteria are able to grow on almost every surface, forming these architecturally complex communities. In biofilms, the cells grow in multicellular aggregates, encased in an extracellular matrix produced by the bacteria themselves. They impact humans in many ways, and can form in natural, medical and industrial settings. For example, the formation of biofilms on medical devices such as catheters or implants often results in difficult-to-treat chronic infections. This book focuses on emerging concepts in bacterial biofilm research, such as the different mechanisms of biofilm formation in Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria, and the burden of biofilm associated infections. It also highlights the various anti-biofilm strategies that can be translated to curb biofilm-associated infections and the escalation of antimicrobial resistance determinants.
Biochemistry and ecology of biofilms from industrial, medical and other viewpoints.
Volume 310 of Methods in Enzymology is the first volume devoted solely to biofilm research methods. It provides a contemporary source book for virtually any kind of experimental approach involving biofilms. It includes bioengineering, molecular, genetic, microscopic, chemical, continuous culture, and physical methods. This volume will serve as a starting point for future developments.The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for more than forty years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. Now with more than 300 volumes (all of them still in print), the series contains much material still relevant today--truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences.
Living in biofilms is the common way of life of microorganisms, transiently immobilized in their matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), interacting in many ways and using the matrix as an external digestion and protection system. This is how they have organized their life in the environment, in the medical context and in technical systems – and has helped make them the oldest, most successful and ubiquitous form of life. In this book, hot spots in current biofilm research are presented in critical and sometimes provocative chapters. This serves a twofold purpose: to provide an overview and to inspire further discussions. Above all, the book seeks to stimulate lateral thinking.
This book provides excellent techniques for detecting and evaluating biofilms: sticky films on materials that are formed by bacterial activity and produce a range of industrial and medical problems such as corrosion, sanitary problems, and infections. Accordingly, it is essential to control biofilms and to establish appropriate countermeasures, from both industrial and medical viewpoints. This book offers valuable, detailed information on these countermeasures. It also discusses the fundamentals of biofilms, relates various substrates to biofilms, and presents a variety of biofilm reactors. However, the most important feature of this book (unlike others on the market) is its clear focus on addressing the practical aspects from an engineering viewpoint. Therefore, it offers an excellent practical guide for engineers and researchers in various fields, and can also be used as a great academic textbook.
Throughout the biological world, bacteria thrive predominantly in surface-attached, matrix-enclosed, multicellular communities or biofilms, as opposed to isolated planktonic cells. This choice of lifestyle is not trivial, as it involves major shifts in the use of genetic information and cellular energy, and has profound consequences for bacterial physiology and survival. Growth within a biofilm can thwart immune function and antibiotic therapy and thereby complicate the treatment of infectious diseases, especially chronic and foreign device-associated infections. Modern studies of many important biofilms have advanced well beyond the descriptive stage, and have begun to provide molecular det...
The study of biofilm considers the close association of micro-organisms with each other at interfaces and is relevant to a variety of disciplines, including medicine, dentistry, bioremediation, biofouling, water technology, engineering and food science. Although the habitats studied differ widely, some common elements exist such as method of attachment, coadhesion and regulation of biofilm phenotype and architecture. This book aims to distil the common principles of biofilm physiology and growth for all interested disciplines.
Human tissues often support large, complex microbial communities growing as biofilms that can cause a variety of infections. As a result of an increased use of implanted medical devices, the incidence of these biofilm-associated diseases is increasing: the non-shedding surfaces of these devices provide ideal substrata for colonisation by biofilm-forming microbes. The consequences of this mode of growth are far-reaching. As microbes in biofilms exhibit increased tolerance towards antimicrobial agents and decreased susceptibility to host defence systems, biofilm-associated diseases are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Not surprisingly, therefore, interest in biofilms has increased dramatically. The application of microscopic and molecular techniques has revolutionised our understanding of biofilm structure, composition, organisation, and activities, resulting in important advances in the prevention and treatment of biofilm-related diseases. The purpose of this book, which was first published in 2003, is to bring these advances to the attention of clinicians and medical researchers.
**Selected for Doody's Core Titles® 2024 in Microbiology**Understanding Microbial Biofilms: Fundamentals to Applications focuses on the microbial biofilms of different environments. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental aspects of microbial biofilms, their existence in nature, their significance, and the different clinical and environmental problems associated with them. The book covers both the fundamentals and applications of microbial biofilms, with chapters on the introduction to the microbial community and its architecture, physiology, mechanisms and imaging of biofilms in nature and fungal, algal, and bacillus biofilm control. In addition, the book highlights t...