Bacterial Biofilms

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Biofilm Development with an Emphasis on Bacillus subtilis

   • K. P. Lemon, A. M. Earl, H. C. Vlamakis, C. Aguilar, R. Kolter

   Pages 1-16

3. Physiology of Microbes in Biofilms

   • A. M. Spormann

   Pages 17-36

4. Environmental Influences on Biofilm Development

   • C. C. Goller, Tony Romeo

   Pages 37-66

5. Quorum Sensing and Microbial Biofilms

   • Y. Irie, M. R. Parsek

   Pages 67-84

6. Innate and Induced Resistance Mechanisms of Bacterial Biofilms

   • G. G. Anderson, G. A. O'Toole

   Pages 85-105

7. Multidrug Tolerance of Biofilms and Persister Cells

   • K. Lewis

   Pages 107-131

8. Biofilms on Central Venous Catheters: Is Eradication Possible?

   • R. M. Donlan

   Pages 133-161

9. Role of Bacterial Biofilms in Urinary Tract Infections

   • J. K. Hatt, P. N. Rather

   Pages 163-192

10. Shifting Paradigms in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Research

    • A. H. Tart, D. J. Wozniak

    Pages 193-206

11. Staphylococcal Biofilms

    • M. Otto

    Pages 207-228

12. Yersinia pestis Biofilm in the Flea Vector and Its Role in the Transmission of Plague

    • B. J. Hinnebusch, D. L. Erickson

    Pages 229-248

13. Escherichia coli Biofilms

    • C. Beloin, A. Roux, J. -M. Ghigo

    Pages 249-289

14. Back Matter

    Pages 291-293

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Throughout the biological world, bacteria thrive predominantly in surface-attached, matrix-enclosed, multicellular communities or biofilms, as opposed to isolated planktonic cells. This choice of lifestyle is not trivial, as it involves major shifts in the use of genetic information and cellular energy, and has profound consequences for bacterial physiology and survival. Growth within a biofilm can thwart immune function and antibiotic therapy and thereby complicate the treatment of infectious diseases, especially chronic and foreign device-associated infections. Modern studies of many important biofilms have advanced well beyond the descriptive stage, and have begun to provide molecular details of the structural, biochemical, and genetic processes that drive biofilm formation and its dispersion. There is much diversity in the details of biofilm development among various species, but there are also commonalities. In most species, environmental and nutritional conditions greatly influence biofilm development. Similar kinds of adhesive molecules often promote biofilm formation in diverse species. Signaling and regulatory processes that drive biofilm development are often conserved, especially among related bacteria. Knowledge of such processes holds great promise for efforts to control biofilm growth and combat biofilm-associated infections. This volume focuses on the biology of biofilms that affect human disease, although it is by no means comprehensive. It opens with chapters that provide the reader with current perspectives on biofilm development, physiology, environmental, and regulatory effects, the role of quorum sensing, and resistance/phenotypic persistence to antimicrobial agents during biofilm growth.

• Bacillus subtilis
• Quorum sensing
• antibiotics
• bacteria
• biofilm
• diseases
• escherichia coli
• infection
• infections
• infectious
• infectious disease
• infectious diseases
• influence
• physiology
• research

• Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA

  Tony Romeo

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