Antibiotic Resistance in Biofilm: 2nd Edition
A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 June 2025 | Viewed by 7687
Special Issue Editor
Interests: food safety; food quality; microbial biofilm; antibiotic resistance; pathogenic bacteria
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Biofilm is a complex group of microorganisms that attaches to solid surfaces in humid environments. It is characterized by structural heterogeneity, genetic diversity, complex interactions, and an extracellular matrix of polymeric substances. Biofilm provides the component microorganisms for certain nutrients, trace elements, and water, and helps to protect against harmful factors, including biocides. Thus, biofilm is commonly found in the food industry, as well as in wet processing conditions (e.g., dairy products, slaughterhouses, meat-processing plants, beverages industry, etc.), and can act as a reservoir for germs with pathogenic potential for humans and animals.
Both pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms can be embedded in biofilm structures. Occasionally, parts of the biofilm may be removed and spread in moist environments, resulting in subsequent contamination of other surfaces.
Bacteria embedded in biofilm are more resistant to antimicrobials compared to planktonic cells. The increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics is due to several mechanisms. One of these is the different structure of the internal biofilm, which generates the unequal diffusion of antimicrobials. Consequently, bacterial cells will be exposed to different concentrations of antibiotics, depending on their spatial location, which favors the selection of cells with mutational antimicrobial resistance. Another factor is the increase in conjugation frequency due to the proximity of the cells in the biofilm structures, enhancing the spread of antibiotic resistance.
In this Special Issue, advances in understanding the role of bacterial biofilms in antibiotic resistance in the food industry and the necessary control strategies will be presented.
This Special Issue's first edition was a great achievement. We are now inviting you to contribute to the second edition. (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/life/special_issues/Biofilm_life).
Dr. Adriana Morar
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biofilm
- food industry
- antimicrobial resistance
- antibiotic resistance gene transfer
- antibiofilm activity
- control strategies
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