Microbial bioemulsifiers as tools in biofilm disruption and prevention: state-of-the-art and emerging frontiers

Although biofilms pose significant challenges in healthcare and in different industries, main antibiofilm agents currently used for surface disinfection and clinical applications often exhibit harmful side effects and contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance. To tackle this challenge many biomolecules have been studied as alternatives, including bioemulsifiers, amphiphilic polymers that exhibit low toxicity and high biodegradability yet remain largely unexplored to date. By covering publications from 1983 to early 2025, this review aims to compile the current knowledge on bioemulsifiers from different microbial sources with a focus on their relevant properties as promising antibiofilm agents. Research on probiotics, often involving producer strains isolated from dairy products and animal microbiomes, focusing on marine-derived microorganisms were the most prominent fields benefiting from these molecules. Among different molecules, polysaccharides stood out, especially those from cultivable bacteria. This review focuses on key physico-chemical properties, such as their ability to alter surface hydrophobicity and to inhibit quorum sensing, while providing a comprehensive overview of their putative antibiofilm mechanisms. Finally, we highlight several identified bottlenecks and discuss key strategies and recent advances in metabolic and molecular engineering to instigate the research appetite on unlocking the full potential of microbial bioemulsifiers for biofilm control and prevention.