Biofilm: Importance and applications

159-168Biofilm is an assemblage of the microbial cells that is irreversibly associated with a surface and usually enclosed in a matrix of polysaccharide material. Biofilm is composed primarily of microbial cells and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). Extracellular polymeric matrix plays various roles in structure and function of different biofilm communities. Adhesion to the surface provides considerable advantages such as protection against antimicrobial agents, acquisition of new genetic traits, and the nutrient availability and metabolic co-operability. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek, who discovered microbial attachment to his own tooth surface, is credited with the discovery of biofilm. The formation of biofilm takes place in three steps. Biofilm is responsible for chronic bacterial infection, infection on medical devices, deterioration of water quality and the contamination of food. This article provides an overview of the formation of biofilm, structure, role in microbial communities and its applications.