Bacterial biofilm: structure, function, and antimicrobial resistance

Abstract

Biofilms are microbial communities attached to surfaces and encased in an extracellular matrix of microbial origin. They represent the predominant form of microbial life. Biofilms are everywhere and can develop on virtually every natural and man‐made surface. Biofilms are also ubiquitous in both normal and pathogenic human processes. Biofilm formation has been demonstrated for numerous pathogens and is clearly one of the main strategies for bacterial survival in a variety of sites within the human body. In almost all instances, the biofilm lifestyle helps bacteria survive and persist within the environment. This review discusses the fundamental biology of microbial biofilm and how biofilms impact the pathogenesis of human infections. The different mechanisms involved in the reduced antimicrobial susceptibility of microorganisms in pathogenic biofilms are discussed in detail in this review. Possible approaches that could be explored in the search for new anti‐biofilm strategies to eradicate medically relevant biofilms are also presented.