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Biofilm is characterised by heterogenous environment and the presence of a variety of subpopulations. A biofilm structure is composed of metabolically active (both resistant and tolerant) and non-active cells (viable but not culturable cells and persisters) as well as polymer matrix consisting of polysaccharide, extracellular DNA and proteins.
Subgingival biofilm is plaque that is located under the gums. It occurs after the formation of the supragingival biofilm by a downward growth of the bacteria from above the gums to below. This plaque is mostly made up of anaerobic bacteria, meaning that these bacteria will only survive if there is no oxygen.
Microalgal biofilms consist of 90% EPS and 10% algal cells. Algal EPS has similar components to the bacterial one; it is made up of proteins, phospholipids, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, humic substances, uronic acids and some functional groups, such as phosphoric, carboxylic, hydroxyl and amino groups.
Modification of the surface charge of polymers has also proven to be an effective means of biofilm prevention. Based on the principles of electrostatics charged particles will repel other particles of like charge. The hydrophobicity and the charge of polymeric chains can be controlled by using several backbone compounds and antimicrobial agents.
Access to the previously invisible world opened the eyes and the minds of the researchers of the seventeenth century. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek investigated diverse bacteria of various shapes, fungi, and protozoa, which he called animalcules, mainly from water, mud, and dental plaque samples, and discovered biofilms as a first indication of microorganisms interacting within complex communities.
In aquatic systems, biofilms are prevalent on surfaces of rocks and plants, and in terrestrial environments they can be located in the soil, on rocks, and on buildings. [1] Phototrophic biofilms and microbial mats have been described in extreme environments like thermal springs, [ 3 ] hyper saline ponds, [ 4 ] desert soil crusts, and in lake ...
Biofilms. Bacteria often attach to surfaces and form dense aggregations called biofilms [ 51 ] and larger formations known as microbial mats . [ 52 ] These biofilms and mats can range from a few micrometres in thickness to up to half a metre in depth, and may contain multiple species of bacteria, protists and archaea.
Producing dairy products is a water-intensive process and generates large amounts of wastewater from washing equipment and from by-products. In particular, this wastewater has many suspended, colloidal, and dissolved particles including lactose, proteins, and lipids. One method for treating dairy wastewater is using anaerobic biofilm reactors.