Biofilm modeling systems

Abstract

Biofilms are considered a complexly structured community of microorganisms derived from their attached growth to abiotic and biotic surfaces. In human life, they mediate serious infections and cause many problems in civil and industrial facilities. While it is of huge interest for scientists to understand biofilms, it has been very hard to directly analyze the various biofilms in nature. A variety of biofilm models have been suggested for laboratory-scale biofilm formation and many methods based on these models are widely used for the biofilm researches. These biofilm models mimic characteristics of environmental biofilms with different advantages and disadvantages. In this review, we will introduce these currently used biofilm model systems and explain their relative merits.