Bacterial Biofilms

Bacterial Biofilms







Bacterial Biofilms (Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology)
By Tony Romeo







Publisher: Springer
Number Of Pages: 308
Publication Date: 2008-04
ISBN-10 / ASIN: 3540754172
ISBN-13 / EAN: 9783540754176
Binding: Hardcover




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.





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