Bacterial biofilms: A friends or foe?

Biofilms are microbial communities that attach to a surface and are enclosed in extracellular polymeric substances that are made by the microbes. The extracellular matrix is a crucial step in the creation of biofilms and is composed of polysaccharides, proteins and extracellular DNA. On both biotic and abiotic surfaces, biofilm formation can take place and can be either monospecific or multi-specific. Biofilms can develop on a number of surfaces, including piping in industrial and drinkable water systems, indwelling medical devices and living tissues in natural aquatic systems. Bacterial polysaccharides are the major component of the biofilm matrix that gives it stability and resistance to antibiotics, biocides and disinfectants. Biofilms can be beneficial or destructive, but negative impacts are more frequent. Numerous bacterial species can communicate with one another while forming biofilms because of a particular process called quorum sensing (QS). A system of stimuli is used to coordinate several types of gene expression. Actually, there is a connection between QS and the growth of biofilms. By creating and detecting signal molecules through a regulatory system known as QS, bacteria can convey their activity in a way that is dependent on cell density (QS). In residential, business and healthcare contexts, biofilm development and associated problems constitute a serious emerging issue. A detailed understanding of bacterial biofilm can help in the creation of effective management strategies to halt its growth in the beginning and to address related problems later after it has fully developed and grown.