Multiple Roles of Biosurfactants in Biofilms

Microbial growth and biofilms formation are a continuous source of contamination on most surfaces with biological, inanimate, natural or man-made. The use of chemical surfactants in daily practice to control growth, presence or adhesion of microorganisms and ultimately the formation of biofilms and biofouling is therefore becoming essential. Synthetic surfactants are, however, not preferred or ideal and biologically derived surface active biosurfactants (BSs) molecules produced mainly by microorganisms are therefore becoming attractive and sought by many industries. The search for innovative and interesting BS molecules that have effective antimicrobial activities and to use as innovative alternatives to chemical surfactants with added antimicrobial value among many other advantages has been ongoing for some time. This review discusses the various roles of BS molecules in association with biofilm formation. Recent updates on several mechanisms involved in biofilm development and control are presented vide this article.