In the 17th century, van Leeuwenhoek first observed "animalcules" swarming on living and dead matter, including in dental plaque deposits which could not be removed from his own teeth despite cleaning. This early study of dental plaque is now considered the first documented evidence of the existence of microbial biofilms. By definition, a biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms adhering to each other on a surface and embedded in a self-produced polymeric substance. Living in a biofilm provides advantages to microbes, making them more resilient to stressors like pH changes and antibiotics.
In the 17th century, van Leeuwenhoek first observed "animalcules" swarming on living and dead matter, including in dental plaque deposits which could not be removed from his own teeth despite cleaning. This early study of dental plaque is now considered the first documented evidence of the existence of microbial biofilms. By definition, a biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms adhering to each other on a surface and embedded in a self-produced polymeric substance. Living in a biofilm provides advantages to microbes, making them more resilient to stressors like pH changes and antibiotics.
In the 17th century, van Leeuwenhoek first observed "animalcules" swarming on living and dead matter, including in dental plaque deposits which could not be removed from his own teeth despite cleaning. This early study of dental plaque is now considered the first documented evidence of the existence of microbial biofilms. By definition, a biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms adhering to each other on a surface and embedded in a self-produced polymeric substance. Living in a biofilm provides advantages to microbes, making them more resilient to stressors like pH changes and antibiotics.
In the 17th century, van Leeuwenhoek first observed "animalcules" swarming on living and dead matter, including in dental plaque deposits which could not be removed from his own teeth despite cleaning. This early study of dental plaque is now considered the first documented evidence of the existence of microbial biofilms. By definition, a biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms adhering to each other on a surface and embedded in a self-produced polymeric substance. Living in a biofilm provides advantages to microbes, making them more resilient to stressors like pH changes and antibiotics.
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In the seventeenth century, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek first observed “animalcules” swarming on living and dead
matter. He was also able to observe these “animalcules” in the tartar of his own teeth which, even with meticulous cleaning, could not be removed. These deposits are now understood to be a mat of various forms of bacterial cells known as dental plaque. There are reasons that suggest this early study of dental plaque is the first known documented evidence of the existence of microbial biofilms.
By definition, a biofilm is an aggregate or community of microorganisms where cells adhere to each other on a surface, embedded within a self-produced matrix of slimy extra-cellular polymeric substance (EPS). Biofilms may form on a variety of surfaces but the vast majority of microbes grow as biofilms in aqueous environments. The formation of biofilm is complex and occurs in many steps. According to different researchers it occurs in few common steps: 1) In the initial contact/attachment of biofilm formation, microbial cells attach to the surface using their appendages like pili and flagella and may also get attached through other physical forces. Formation of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) occurs in the attachment stage of a biofilm to the surface. 2) During the micro-colony formation, the attachment of microorganisms to a biotic or an abiotic surface becomes stable and a process of multiplication and division of microbial cells start. This is initiated through particular chemical signaling within the EPS and eventually the process leads to the formation of micro-colonies. 3) In the maturation and architecture stage of biofilm formation, microbial cells communicate with one another through auto-induced signals. Auto-inducers, which are signaling molecules that facilitate quorum sensing, are secreted after cell-to-cell communication. This allows the required microbial cell density to be attained. Layers of microorganisms and EPS build upon the first layers and create a bulbous and complex 3D structure with crisscrossing water channels that allow for the exchange of nutrients and waste products. 4) In the detachment/dispersion of biofilm phase, microbial cells within the biofilm perform quick multiplication and dispersion in order to convert from sessile into motile form. Detachment then occurs in a natural pattern. During this process, microbial communities within the biofilm produce different enzymes that help to release the surface of the microbes into a new area for colonization. Detachment of microbial cells and transfer to a new site aid in the spreading of infections.
Microorganisms living together as a biofilm benefit from the presence of their various community members-which makes it the perfect example of complex relationships among numerous microorganisms of different species. Living as a part of a biofilm is advantageous because communities of microbes are usually more resilient to potential stressors. This includes lack of water, high or low pH and the presence of substances toxic to microorganisms such as antibiotics, antimicrobials or heavy metals.
Now the reason why biofilms can be pathogenic is because quorum sensing regulation can be used as a strategy to invade hosts successfully: a single harmful bacteria could be detected and dealt with by the host's immune response, but a coordinated attack by a population of bacteria may overwhelm a host before it has a chance to defend itself. The resistance of bacteria in a biofilm to antibiotics has been attributed to the EPS matrix acting as a protective barrier and preventing nutrients from penetrating into the deeper layers of a biofilm. In fact, when compared to free-floating bacteria, those growing as a biofilm can be up to 1,500 times more resistant to antibiotics and other biological and chemical agents-which proves a major challenge to treating infections.
References: Costerton, J. W., Lewandowski, Z., Caldwell, D. E., Korber, D. R., & Lappin-Scott, H. M. (1995). Microbial biofilms. Annual review of microbiology, 49(1), 711-745. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/download/49970239/Microbial_Biofilms20161029-27616-a5hzi7.pdf
Shovlin, J. (2012, April 18). Are All Biofilms Bad?
Retrieved from https://www.reviewofcontactlenses.com/article/are-all-biofilms-bad
Vidyasagar, A. (2016, December 22). What Are Biofilms?
Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/57295-biofilms.html
Sjollema, J., Rustema-Abbing, M., Van der Mei, H., & Busscher, H. (2011, July). Generalized relationship between numbers of bacteria and their viability in biofilms. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3147378/
Percival, S. L., Malic, S., Cruz, H., & Williams, D. W. (2011). Introduction to biofilms. In Biofilms and veterinary medicine (pp. 41- 68). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21289-5_2
