Brief Notes About Biofilms [Chapt. 3]

The biofilm is a microbial community characterised by sessile bacterial cells strongly adherent to a substrate and/or an interface and incorporated in a polymeric matrix of microbial origin. In this condition, microbial cells exhibit an altered phenotype in comparison to corresponding free or planktonic forms. Life in a biofilm represents probably the prevailing mode of growth for microbes in several environments. After the development of new observation methods and the modification of different procedures, biofilms may be identified on known substrates and on new sites. The concept of biofilm has acquired the importance that still plays in the health sector, especially in areas where the use of invasive instruments and the continuous temporal localisation is expected. An important role is also played in the food industry because of the direct presence on food surfaces.