Abstract
Direct observation of a wide range of natural microorganisms has revealed the fact that the majority of microbes persist as surfaceâattached communities surrounded by matrix materials, called biofilms. Biofilms can be formed by a single bacterial strain. However, most natural biofilms are actually formed by multiple bacterial species. Conventional methods for bacterial cleaning, such as applications of antibiotics and/or disinfectants are often ineffective for biofilm populations due to their special physiology and physical matrix barrier. It has been estimated that billions of dollars are spent every year worldwide to deal with damage to equipment, contaminations of products, energy losses, and infections in human beings resulted from microbial biofilms. Microorganisms compete, cooperate, and communicate with each other in multiâspecies biofilms. Understanding the mechanisms of multiâspecies biofilm formation will facilitate the development of methods for combating bacterial biofilms in clinical, environmental, industrial, and agricultural areas. The most recent advances in the understanding of multiâspecies biofilms are summarized and discussed in the review.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, L., Liu, Y., Wu, H. et al. Current understanding of multiâspecies biofilms. Int J Oral Sci 3, 74â81 (2011). https://doi.org/10.4248/IJOS11027
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4248/IJOS11027