Biofilm

(n. /BI–o-film/) 

by Jamie Liu

What does it mean? 

Biofilms are communities of bacteria that stick to surfaces. The bacteria are surrounded by a sticky, slimy layer of extracellular DNA, sugars, and proteins, which is also called the matrix! This matrix protects the inhabiting bacteria from our immune system and treatments including antibiotics. Lots of bacteria can make biofilm and they can stick to a lot of surfaces such as plastics, metals, and even our teeth! Biofilms can be found in lots of places like on implanted medical devices in patients, on plant roots, and in water pipes. 

How do I use it in a sentence?

Dental plaque is a biofilm made of various species of bacteria.

Biofilms form when free-floating bacteria start adhering to a surface (1 – attachment). Then, more bacteria attach and begin to secrete proteins and sugars to form the matrix (2 – irreversible attachment). The bacteria continue growing and produce more of the extracellular matrix, making their home structurally stronger (3 – maturation). Finally, bacteria can shed off of the biofilm and travel to form biofilms elsewhere (4 – dispersal). Schematic generated in BioRender. 

History of usage

The word “biofilm” was first used in 1975 in a British patent for wastewater treatment. 

Fields of study in which this word is commonly used

Microbiology, infectious disease 

Edited by Quinn Eberhard and Ena Vujic

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