Bacteriophage Control for Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation and Eradication

Abstract

Microbial biofilms are a type of cell growth observed on biotic or abiotic substrates, with altered gene expression profile from its free-living counterparts, encased in an exopolymeric substance fortification that protects its residents from different stressors. It is now estimated that in almost all niches, microorganisms prefer to exist in a biofilm mode than as free-living cells. The study of biofilms for understanding microbial nature has hence become one of the mainstay assays in a microbiology laboratory. Biofilms show great diversity in their shape, structure, morphology, metabolic physiology as well as genetic complexity based on the resident flora and form the basis of microbial resistance to biocontrol agents such as antimicrobial compounds. Bacteriophages are emerging as effective and safe antibacterial alternative strategies in an era of rapidly emerging antibiotic resistance. Basic biofilm assay protocols that can be performed in any microbiology laboratory are reported along with the use of bacteriophages as biocontrol agents.