Feature Papers in Microbial Biofilms

Dear Colleagues,

A biofilm is defined as a community of surface-associated microbial cells enclosed in a self-produced extracellular polymeric substance, named the EPS-matrix. A significant percentage of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) diagnosed in developed countries are attributable to the ability of bacteria and/or fungi to adhere to biotic or abiotic surfaces, and to colonize them. These infections are frequently found in mucosal and soft tissues, but are more often associated with the temporary or permanent implantation of medical devices. The onset and spread of biofilm-related HAI on both tissues and medical devices constitute a serious public health problem, with a strong impact on hospitalization duration and costs, as well as on patient management. Cells forming biofilms acquire peculiar traits with respect to the planktonic mode of growth, showing an over-production of extracellular polymeric substances, an over- or under-expression of specific genes, a change in metabolic activity and a reduction in the growth rate. These physiological characteristics bring a gain in terms of fitness by protecting cells from the attack of the host immune response, resisting phagocytosis and other body's defence systems, and by considerably increasing the levels of transient tolerance of microorganisms towards antimicrobial compounds. This increased tolerance creates a situation that is not in itself encouraging, and is even more worrying when it comes to dealing with clinical isolates that already shown an intrinsically complex resistance profile, thus resulting in the onset of chronic and/or relapsing infections.

It is, therefore, easy to understand how the study of the biofilm mode of growth, and the possibilities of preventing and/or counteracting it, are more crucial than ever.

There is still plenty to learn regarding biofilms, so the aim of this Special Issue is to collect updated reviews as well as original research articles based on:

1. The mechanisms underlying the formation of pathogenic biofilms;
2. The resistance/tolerance of biofilm-embedded microorganisms to antimicrobials;
3. The interaction of viruses and bacteria within sessile communities;
4. The development of effective tools to detect biofilm-associated infections;
5. The identification of new anti-biofilm strategies.

Dr. Claudia Vuotto
Dr. Mariagrazia Di Luca
Guest Editors

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