Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Biofilms01:29

Biofilms

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced extracellular polysaccharide matrix attached to surfaces. These microbial consortia can include single or multiple species, providing enhanced survival benefits by forming organized, multilayered structures.The formation of biofilms occurs through four key stages: attachment, colonization, development, and dispersal.During attachment, free-swimming planktonic cells adhere to a surface, often facilitated by...
Microbial Corrosion01:24

Microbial Corrosion

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) is a significant form of material degradation caused by the metabolic activities of microorganisms. This phenomenon poses substantial challenges across various industries, including oil and gas, maritime, and water treatment sectors.MIC occurs when microorganisms, such as bacteria, archaea, and fungi, colonize metal surfaces, forming biofilms that alter the local electrochemical environment. These biofilms can lead to the production of corrosive...
Microbial Mats01:25

Microbial Mats

Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
Scale-Up Processes01:14

Scale-Up Processes

The scale-up of microbial fermentation processes is essential in industrial biotechnology, allowing the transition from laboratory-scale experiments to commercial-scale production while aiming to maintain product yield and quality. This process requires meticulous adjustment of equipment design, process parameters, and contamination control strategies to accommodate increasing culture volumes.At the laboratory scale, cultures are typically maintained in 1 to 10-liter glass or autoclavable...
Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons01:26

Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons

Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to physical or...
Microbial Wastewater Treatment01:30

Microbial Wastewater Treatment

Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

GDF15 (Growth/Differentiation Factor-15) Expression in Human Adipose Tissue and in Adipocyte Cell Lines.

Biomedicines·2026
Same author

Obesity- and Glucose-Dependent Differential Autophagy Marker Expression in Adipose Tissues and Adipocytes.

Obesity science & practice·2026
Same author

Oral losartan yields subtherapeutic airway exposure compared to nebulized delivery and fails to improve mucociliary clearance in cystic fibrosis.

Frontiers in pharmacology·2026
Same author

In-situ product recovery in microfluidic bioreactors.

Current opinion in biotechnology·2026
Same author

Establishment of a Single-Cell Minimal Medium: A Case Study for Microfluidic Cultivation of Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Biotechnology and bioengineering·2026
Same author

Biocatalytic Access to Natural Mosquito Repellent p-Menthane-3,8-diol via Direct Asymmetric Prins Cyclohydration.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Organic Peroxyacids for Eradicating Dairy Biofilms Using an Approach Combining Static and Dynamic Methods
11:47

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Organic Peroxyacids for Eradicating Dairy Biofilms Using an Approach Combining Static and Dynamic Methods

Published on: December 9, 2022

Microbial biofilms: a concept for industrial catalysis?

Bettina Rosche1, Xuan Zhong Li, Bernhard Hauer

  • 1The University of New South Wales, School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. b.rosche@unsw.edu.au

Trends in Biotechnology
|September 29, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Biofilm reactors, widely used in wastewater treatment, show great potential for sustainable chemical production due to their self-immobilization and long-term activity. This technology facilitates continuous processing across various industries.

More Related Videos

Immobilization of Multi-biocatalysts in Alginate Beads for Cofactor Regeneration and Improved Reusability
09:27

Immobilization of Multi-biocatalysts in Alginate Beads for Cofactor Regeneration and Improved Reusability

Published on: April 22, 2016

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
11:58

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 20, 2026

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Organic Peroxyacids for Eradicating Dairy Biofilms Using an Approach Combining Static and Dynamic Methods
11:47

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Organic Peroxyacids for Eradicating Dairy Biofilms Using an Approach Combining Static and Dynamic Methods

Published on: December 9, 2022

Immobilization of Multi-biocatalysts in Alginate Beads for Cofactor Regeneration and Improved Reusability
09:27

Immobilization of Multi-biocatalysts in Alginate Beads for Cofactor Regeneration and Improved Reusability

Published on: April 22, 2016

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization
11:58

Waste Water Derived Electroactive Microbial Biofilms: Growth, Maintenance, and Basic Characterization

Published on: December 29, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Industrial Microbiology

Background:

  • Biofilm reactors are established technologies for wastewater and off-gas treatment.
  • Recent advances in biofilm biology reveal new industrial applications.
  • Biofilms offer inherent advantages for continuous bioprocessing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the potential of biofilm reactors for sustainable chemical production.
  • To highlight the benefits of biofilm characteristics in industrial catalysis.
  • To identify key industrial sectors that can benefit from biofilm technology.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing biofilm reactor configurations for productive catalysis.
  • Analysis of biofilm properties such as self-immobilization and resistance.
  • Case studies of continuous reactor operation over extended periods.

Main Results:

  • Biofilm reactors demonstrate robust performance with continuous operation for months.
  • Inherent biofilm characteristics facilitate efficient and sustainable bioproduction.
  • Diverse reactor designs have been explored for catalytic applications.

Conclusions:

  • Biofilm technology presents a sustainable and efficient approach for chemical manufacturing.
  • The food, bioenergy, biologics, and synthetic chemistry sectors can significantly benefit.
  • Further development of biofilm reactors will drive innovation in industrial biotechnology.