Microbial biofilm: a “sticky” problem

Abstract

Bacteria can form, on virtually any surface, single- and multispecies biofilms intrinsically resistant/tolerant to antibiotics and elusive of the host immune response. The study of bacterial biofilm development has, therefore, received great interest over the past 20 years and is motivated by the well-recognized role of these multicellular communities in infectious diseases. In this review article, we provide a synopsis of (i) biofilm formation mechanisms; (ii) biofilm clinical significance and underlying mechanisms; (iii) the current methodologies for microbiological diagnosis of biofilm-related infections; and (iv) current and future therapeutic strategies to combat biofilm-associated infections.