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Related Concept Videos

Biofilms01:29

Biofilms

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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...
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Bacterial Signaling01:30

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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...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 1, 2025

A Platform of Anti-biofilm Assays Suited to the Exploration of Natural Compound Libraries
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Bacterial biofilms as platforms engineered for diverse applications.

Zhong Li1, Xinyu Wang2, Jie Wang1

  • 1Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China; Electrobiomaterials Institute, Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China.

Biotechnology Advances
|March 2, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Biofilms, once viewed negatively, offer sustainable solutions. Researchers are engineering living functional biofilms for catalysis, energy, and medical uses, paving the way for large-scale applications.

Keywords:
3D printingBiofilmsLiving functional biofilmsMechanical propertySynthetic biology

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Synthetic Biology
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Biofilms are microbial communities traditionally seen as problematic.
  • However, biofilms exhibit beneficial properties like self-regeneration, sustainability, and scalability.
  • Existing applications in environmental remediation and bioleaching often use wild-type or engineered strains.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review design strategies for innovative applications of living functional biofilms.
  • To highlight advancements in engineering biofilms for diverse functions.
  • To discuss future prospects of biofilms in various fields.

Main Methods:

  • Engineering of signaling and metabolic pathways.
  • Modification of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS).
  • Genetic editing, metal ion curing, and synthetic gene circuits for property tuning.
  • Advancements in 3D printing with bioinks for structural fabrication.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration of functional biofilms for catalysis, electric conduction, bioremediation, and medical therapy.
  • Tunable mechanical properties achieved through various engineering strategies.
  • Successful fabrication of living functional biofilms with specific structures using 3D printing.

Conclusions:

  • Living functional biofilms can be designed and constructed for a wide array of applications.
  • Synthetic biology combined with interdisciplinary techniques will drive practical, large-scale biofilm applications.
  • The potential of biofilms extends beyond traditional uses to novel technological solutions.