What is the effect of biofilm in pathogenicity of microorganisms?

The role of biofilms in pathogenesis

One example of a positive effect includes the biofilms of commensal bacteria such as Staphylococcus epidermidis, which can impede the colonisation of potentially pathogenic bacteria through the stimulation of host-cell immune defences and the prevention of adhesion.

What are effects of biofilms?

Biofilms profoundly affect human health and industrial productivity. Their pervasive effects on human health, water quality, corrosion, and power generation efficiency cost the U.S. billions of dollars annually.

What is the significance of biofilm formation in the survival and pathogenicity of microorganisms?

Biofilm formation is an important survival strategy that bacteria utilize in natural and human-made niches. The detection of adherence of pathogenic bacteria on medical surfaces is necessary to identify and prevent systemic infections related to biofilm-forming bacteria.

What are pathogenic biofilms?

FIGURE 1: Biofilm formation is a common feature among bacterial human pathogens. Bacterial biofilms by human pathogens are found on various tissues of the human body, on medical devices, e.g. catheters or prostheses, and in the environment, representing a reservoir for new infections.

Why are biofilms more pathogenic?

Bacterial biofilms cause chronic infections because they show increased resistance to antibiotics and disinfectant chemicals as well as resisting phagocytosis and other components of the body's defence system.

Bacterial Pathogenesis: How Bacteria Cause Damage

Does biofilm increase pathogenicity?

Since then, biofilms have been recognized to be involved in many clinical infections [2,3], and evidence is accumulating that biofilms contribute to the pathogenesis, especially in chronic infections [4].

What is biofilm and what role does it play in disease?

The term biofilm is used to denote a polymer-encased community of microbes which accumulates at a surface. Biofilms are responsible for a number of diseases of man and, because of the intrinsic resistance of these structures to antibiotics and host defence systems, such diseases are very difficult to treat effectively.

Why are biofilms important in microbiology?

"The reason that biofilm formation is a great cause of concern is that, within a biofilm, bacteria are more resistant to antibiotics and other major disinfectants that you could use to control them," said A.C. Matin, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University.

How does biofilm provide virulence?

Biofilm virulence factors underlie chronic infection. Bacteria often employ opposing molecular mechanisms to establish acute and chronic infections, thus requiring different strategies for treatment of acute and chronic (biofilm) infections.

Why are biofilms important during infection?

The effects of biofilms are seen primarily in 4 ways by facilitating the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance, generating chronic infections, the modulation of host immune response, and the contamination of medical devices.

Why are biofilms a problem?

In the environment, biofilms form everywhere: on pipelines, boat hulls, rocks, or even in hot water springs. In the human body, they can attach to organs and, more easily, on implanted material. If they contain pathogenic bacteria, they are a major cause of chronic infections.

What are biofilms and how are they beneficial for bacteria?

Biofilm is a strong and dynamic structure that confers a broad range of advantages to its members, such as adhesion/cohesion capabilities, mechanical properties, nutritional sources, metabolite exchange platform, cellular communication, protection and resistance to drugs (e.g., antimicrobials, antiseptics, and ...

What effects biofilm growth?

Biofilm growth is associated with an increased level of mutations. Bacteria in biofilms communicate by means of molecules, which activates certain genes responsible for production of virulence factors and, to some extent, biofilm structure.

What are the disadvantages of biofilms?

The major disadvantage of biofilms include, high corrosivity, and lack of machine stability. Biodispersants are designed to ensure that microorganisms are dispersed into the process water. They are effective in performing a function using a multiple of mechanisms, and are treated as a substitute to a biocide.

Are biofilms helpful or harmful?

Biofilms, however, also offer beneficial roles in a variety of fields including applications in plant protection, bioremediation, wastewater treatment, and corrosion inhibition amongst others. Development of beneficial biofilms can be promoted through manipulation of adhesion surfaces, QS and environmental conditions.

Is the biofilm considered as virulence factor?

Biofilm is a crucial virulence factor involved in multitude of severe chronic bacterial infections and accounts for over 65% of all infections [3].

What is an example of a biofilm?

Plaque that forms on teeth is an example of a biofilm. Most bacteria are capable of forming biofilms. However, certain species have more of a disposition toward biofilms than others. In addition to plaque-forming bacteria on teeth, streptococci staphylococci, and lactobacilli also frequently form biofilms.

What is the meaning of virulence factor?

Virulence is described as an ability of an organism to infect the host and cause a disease. Virulence factors are the molecules that assist the bacterium colonize the host at the cellular level. These factors are either secretory, membrane associated or cytosolic in nature.

What is biofilm in microbiology?

A biofilm is an assemblage of surface-associated microbial cells that is enclosed in an extracellular polymeric substance matrix. Van Leeuwenhoek, using his simple microscopes, first observed microorganisms on tooth surfaces and can be credited with the discovery of microbial biofilms.

How do biofilms protect bacteria?

By forming a biofilm, bacteria protect themselves from host defense, disinfectants, and antibiotics. Bacteria inside biofilm are much more resistant to antimicrobial agents than planktonic forms since bacteria that are unresisting to antimicrobial agents in any way can turn resistant after forming a biofilm.

What are the advantages of biofilms?

Biofilm is a strong and dynamic structure that confers a broad range of advantages to its members, such as adhesion/cohesion capabilities, mechanical properties, nutritional sources, metabolite exchange platform, cellular communication, protection and resistance to drugs (e.g., antimicrobials, antiseptics, and ...

Why is the prevention of biofilms important in a health care environment?

The importance of biofilms in healthcare arises due to biofilms' increased tolerance to biocides and increased tolerance to desiccation when compared with planktonic organisms of the same species.

How are biofilms related to disease?

Biofilm formation represents a protected mode of growth that renders bacterial cells less susceptible to antimicrobials and to killing by host immune effector mechanisms and so enables the pathogens to survive in hostile environments and also to disperse and colonize new niches.

How do biofilms impact human health?

Bacterial biofilm is a key reason for the contamination of medical devices and the generation of microbial and chronic infections in the body. In fact, biofilms are the source of a number of human diseases as they cause serious infections and have antimicrobial drug resistant features.

What bacteria causes biofilm?

Both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria can form biofilms on medical devices, but the most common forms are Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus viridans, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa [7].