Bacterial cell surface structure and adhesion to surfaces

This chapter examines how researchers from a diverse range of scientific disciplines have investigated bacterial adhesion, and how their findings contribute to the current understanding of this complex phenomenon. It also provides the background material necessary to give these studies context. Firstly, the bacterial surface is reviewed, with an emphasis given to structures reported to influence adhesion. This is followed by a description of bacterial surface charge and the foreces operative between bacteria and surfaces. Classical theories used to describe bacterial adhesion are then presented, as are those that have emerged more recently. Finally, biological aspects of bacterial adhesion are discussed, including the effects of growth environment and gene expression