Life SciencesMicrobiologyBacteriologyMedical MicrobiologyMicrobial EcologyAntibiotic ResistanceBacterial BiofilmsBacterial EcologyBiofilm FormationBiofilm-associated ResistanceMicrobial BiofilmsBiofilm DisruptionBiofilm ReservoirsBiofilm-material InteractionsBiomedical ImplantsImmune System InteractionsImplant-associated Biofilms
After focusing on free-floating bacteria for decades, microbiologists are now realizing that in nature, bacteria often aggregate in biofilms—clumps of microbes surrounded by slime and stuck to a surface. Biofilms foul pipes, contaminate medical implants, and sometimes even kill humans, for these tough microbial communities can resist antibiotics and the immune system.