Biofilm formation, development and relevance

Bacteria are able to grow adhered to almost every surface, forming architecturally complex communities termed biofilms. Biofilms are multicellular communities held together by a self-produced extracellular matrix. Biofilm development is a dynamic process that occurs in different sequential phases and involves a series of steps. Biofilms impact humans in many ways as they can form in natural, medical, and industrial settings. For instance, formation of biofilms on medical devices, such as catheters or implants often results in difficult-to-treat chronic infections. Not all biofilms cause problems both in the clinical and environmental context. Within humans, bacterial biofilms may also play a protective role and promote a probiotic effect when consumed through various fermented foods. Also within the industrial context there are several successful examples of the positive use of beneficial biofilms. Recent data concerning biofilm formation, evolution, structure and functions are reported in this chapter. Particular emphasis is given to discussing the different adverse effects and beneficial aspects of biofilms.