Laboratory Biofilm Reactors

Abstract

Biofilms form at the interface between different phases in nature. To investigate biofilms and to solve practical problems, we have to reproduce the phenomena in laboratories. To achieve this purpose, we need to produce biofilms in laboratories and to evaluate them properly and accurately. As for the artificial production of biofilms, we need laboratory biofilm reactors. They have to mimic natural phenomena as much as possible, while the conditions should be idealized without some unnecessary factors. However, the simplification and idealization are very often difficult. It depends on the design and production of the laboratory biofilm reactors. In this chapter, we describe some representative laboratory biofilm reactors and discuss the efficacy and also the problems.