Architecture of a biofilm

Bacteria are small single-celled organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are found in the majority of environments and exert influence on our daily lives. One reason that explains how bacteria manage this is the fact that they team-up to form social communities called "biofilms", which are the equivalent of human cities but made from bacteria. Once living in these social communities, the resident bacteria can perform a wide range of processes, and these can in turn be exploited by us, for example in sewage breakdown or in stimulating plant growth and plant protection. However, there can be negative consequences as biofilms are the cause of many chronic infections and industrial biofouling issues. The defining feature of a biofilm is that the bacteria make a "sticky glue" called the biofilm matrix that holds the cells together and protects them from changes in the environment. This protection can result in resistance to antibiotics and other cleaning agents. Given the diverse range of processes - both positive and negative - that biofilms have been associated with, it is critical that we learn how to manipulate biofilms for our own advantage. This will require understanding how the biofilm matrix is constructed and how the different components made by the bacteria to form the matrix interact. Currently very limited information is available and given the complexity of the problem, real impact can only be achieved using a multidisciplinary approach. Our research team has been assembled to combine the skills required for success. Our ultimate goal is to build and utilise artificial biofilms. Our aim is to determine the basic rules for the structure and function of biofilms that will allow for the advantageous manipulation of both natural and artificial functional bacterial communities.