Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Biofilms

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...

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments

Fimbriae, Pili, and Axial Filaments

Fimbriae and pili are specialized bacterial surface structures that play pivotal roles in adhesion, genetic exchange, and motility. Composed primarily of pilin protein, these hairlike appendages are crucial for bacterial survival and pathogenicity in various environments.Fimbriae: Adhesion and PathogenicityFimbriae are fine, filamentous structures measuring 2–10 nanometers in diameter and are densely distributed on the bacterial cell surface. They facilitate bacterial adhesion to abiotic...

Biological Methods for Microbial Control

Biological Methods for Microbial Control

Biological agents offer an effective means of controlling microbial growth by leveraging natural processes like predation, competition, and the secretion of antimicrobial substances.Predatory bacteria such as Bdellovibrio species target and kill pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli. They are widely used in poultry farms to control infections. Myxococcus species help combat plant-pathogenic fungi. These naturally occurring predators serve as eco-friendly alternatives to chemical pesticides and...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Pilin antigenic variants impact gonococcal lifestyle and antibiotic tolerance by modulating interbacterial forces.

PLoS biology·2025

Same author

Triazole-Bridged Peptides with Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity and Potency against Pathogenic Bacteria.

ACS infectious diseases·2024

Same author

Genome-wide transformation reveals extensive exchange across closely related Bacillus species.

Nucleic acids research·2023

Same author

Correction to: Distribution of fitness effects of cross-species transformation reveals potential for fast adaptive evolution.

The ISME journal·2023

Same author

Collective polarization dynamics in bacterial colonies signify the occurrence of distinct subpopulations.

PLoS biology·2023

Same author

Distribution of fitness effects of cross-species transformation reveals potential for fast adaptive evolution.

The ISME journal·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Published on: March 11, 2015

How Physical Interactions Shape Bacterial Biofilms.

Berenike Maier¹

¹Institute for Biological Physics and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany;

Annual Review of Biophysics

|February 27, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Bacteria in biofilms adjust physical interactions to adapt to their environment. Understanding these forces helps explain biofilm structure, dynamics, and spread, offering a unified view of microbial community modulation.

Keywords:

active matter bacteria biofilm biofilm structure fitness mechanobiology

More Related Videos

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries

Published on: December 27, 2016

Methodologies for Studying B. subtilis Biofilms as a Model for Characterizing Small Molecule Biofilm Inhibitors

Methodologies for Studying B. subtilis Biofilms as a Model for Characterizing Small Molecule Biofilm Inhibitors

Published on: October 9, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 16, 2025

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Methods for Characterizing the Co-development of Biofilm and Habitat Heterogeneity

Published on: March 11, 2015

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries

Published on: December 27, 2016

Methodologies for Studying B. subtilis Biofilms as a Model for Characterizing Small Molecule Biofilm Inhibitors

Methodologies for Studying B. subtilis Biofilms as a Model for Characterizing Small Molecule Biofilm Inhibitors

Published on: October 9, 2016

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Biophysics
Systems Biology

Background:

Biofilms are structured microbial communities embedded in an extracellular matrix.
Biofilm architecture is dynamic and responsive to environmental cues like antibiotics and predators.
Bacterial cell-to-cell interactions are modulated by surface and matrix components.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advances in understanding bacterial physical interactions within biofilms.
To correlate these forces with biofilm structure, dynamics, and spreading.
To explore how gene expression influences these physical interactions for a unified understanding.

Main Methods:

Review of current literature on bacterial adhesion forces.
Analysis of studies linking gene expression to biofilm physical properties.
Correlation of inter-bacterial forces with observed biofilm phenotypes.

Main Results:

Bacteria actively modulate attractive and repulsive forces to control biofilm formation and behavior.
Gene expression changes significantly impact surface properties and matrix composition, thereby altering physical interactions.
These modulations are crucial for bacterial fitness and adaptation in diverse environments.

Conclusions:

Characterizing physical forces provides a unified framework for understanding diverse bacterial biofilms.
Bacterial control over physical interactions is key to biofilm structure, dynamics, and ecological success.
Future research should focus on the interplay between gene expression and physical forces in microbial communities.