Microbial Biofilms and Biofouling

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial biofilms are an integral component of biofouling. Biofouling is the continual assembly of microorganisms and macroorganisms on human made structures that impair and deteriorate their function that results in a very expensive response. Macrofouling organisms, sessile invertebrate larvae and algal zoospores, generally encounter solid substrata that have already been colonized by a community of microorganisms that have formed a biofilm. These biofilms are a source of associative cues that influence the subsequent settlement of larvae or the attachment of zoospores. Reviewing the literature reveals reports of single species or multispecies biofilms stimulating, inhibiting, or having a neutral effect on the subsequent attachment of macrofouling organisms. In some of these cases, particularly with single species biofilms, chemical cues responsible for the interactions have been identified. However, their presence and persistence in natural multispecies biofilms where the extracellular molecular chemistry is modified through the dynamic physiological activity of the different microbes is not well understood.

Despite decades of scientific research regarding the potential role of biofilms in the attachment of macrofouling organisms, there are still numerous gaps in our knowledge. These gaps include, but are not limited to, identification of all the chemical stimulatory and/or inhibitory cues that are present in biofilms; how are these cues produced by the different microbes involved? How do these cues persist in natural biofilm communities? How do these cues function in natural biofilms? How do macrofouling organism receptors detect the specific microbial cues involved? How broad range are the effect of these cues? And what is the effect of the macrofouling organisms on the biofilm community?

This Special Issue aims to explore these and any other research questions involving the interactions between microbial biofilms and macrofouling organisms. In this special Issue, original research and reviews are welcome.

The Journal and I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. James S. Maki
Guest Editor

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