Biofilm

Biofilms are self-organizing, predominantly sessile, autonomously replicating microbial communities embedded in a self-produced and environmentally enriched extracellular matrix, which resemble the tissue structure of higher organisms. The self-organisation of self-replicating entities is governed by highly conserved as well as organism-specific developmental programs. Bacteria and fungi, but even viruses, protozoa and other free-living organisms, can arrange in biofilms, both individually and in combination.

Spanning from a geochemical impact deeply founded in the history of the earth to its current detrimental clinical impact as refractory infections, the ubiquitousness and diversity of biofilms is as tremendous as the different environmental conditions and the diversity of microorganisms. 

Compared with single planktonic cells, the biofilm lifestyle arises from a deep transformation of the microbes’ physiology and metabolism, which can result in an exceptional tolerance against environmental stresses, exposure to antimicrobials and immune responses of host organisms.

In this section, original and review articles reporting state-of-art developments and covering the various basic and applied aspects of biofilms—across medical, industrial and environmental settings—are welcome. As most information regarding microbial biofilms is derived from in vitro observations, the editors welcome studies investigating in vivo biofilms.