In Situ Characterization of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) in Biofilm Systems

Abstract

Historically, microbial polysaccharides were studied for three reasons. First, polysaccharides represent a structural feature of the microbial cell; therefore they were investigated for pure and basic research interests. Second, polysaccharides were recognized as antigen determinants of the microbial cell surface; the knowledge of their structure was and still is of great importance in medical microbiology. Third, microbial polysaccharides were recognized as a source of polymers with unique properties. These applied aspects of polysaccharides were a reason to study their structure, properties, and production on the pilot and industrial scales.