Riddle of Biofilm Resistance
Year: 2001
Type: review
Abstract: A biofilm is a population of cells growing on a surface and enclosed in an exopolysaccharide matrix. Biofilms are notori-ously difficult to eradicate and are a source of many recalci-trant infections. The nature of bacterial biofilm resistance to antimicrobials is the subject of the present minireview. Patho-genic yeast such as Candida albicans also form recalcitrant biofilms, and this topic has recently been reviewed (5). Resistance is an ability of a microorganism to grow in the presence of an elevated level of an antimicrobial. In short, a strain for which the MIC is increased is resistant. By this conventional criterion, biofilm cells do not necessarily show increased resistance. With some exceptions, biofilm cells do not grow better than planktonic cells in the presence of a broad range of antimicrobials. This is evident from examination of susceptibility data in the biofilm literature (33). However, in
Author: Kim Lewis
Institution: Tufts University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2156788471