The formation of surface-attached microbial communities (biofilms) is an important reason why treatment with an antimicrobial agent fails and it is estimated that more than half of all human infections is biofilm-related. This has led to a drastic increase in biofilms-related research over the last decade. However, despite the enormous progress made in basic and clinical biofilm research, decisions about prophylaxis or treatment are still often taken without considering the possibility of a biofilm-related infection, highlighting the continuing need to bring this under the attention of researchers and clinicians. In addition, there is an urgent need to study microbial biofilms under conditions that are more relevant for the in vivo situation. Significant progress has been made in this area, and the advanced models developed allow us to study biofilm physiology more in detail.
However, bacteria in a biofilm do not live on an island, and the field has gradually moved from studying single species biofilms, to studying polymicrobial (multispecies) biofilms, and to include the interaction between these multispecies biofilms and host tissues in experimental set ups. The special issue contains manuscripts dealing with these innovative topics and showcases excellent research that was presented at the Eurobiofilms conference in Brno.
Eurobiofilms 2015: the complexity of microbial biofilm research
Tom Coenye, Thomas Bjarnsholt
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw053
A novel technique using potassium permanganate and reflectance confocal microscopy to image biofilm extracellular polymeric matrix reveals non eDNA networks in Peudomonas aeruginosa biofilms
Matthew C. Swearingen, Ajeet Mehta, Amar Mehta, Laura Nistico, Preston J. Hill, Anthony R. Falzarano, Daniel J. Wozniak, Luanne Hall-Stoodley, Paul Stoodley
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv104
Activation of phagocytic cells by Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms: effects of extracellular matrix proteins and the bacterial stress protein GroEL on netosis and MRP-14 release
Ulrike Dapunt, Matthias M. Gaida, Eva Meyle, Birgit Prior, Gertrud M. Hänsch
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw035?
Biofilm formation by multidrug resistant Escherichia coli ST131 is dependent on type 1 fimbriae and assay conditions
Sohinee Sarkar, Dimitrios Vagenas, Mark A. Schembri, Makrina Totsika
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw013
Candida albicans in oral biofilms could prevent caries
Hubertine Marjoleine Willems, Kevin Kos, Mary Ann Jabra-Rizk, Bastiaan P. Krom
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw039
Clinical and environmental genotypes of Vibrio vulnificus display distinct, quorum-sensing-mediated, chitin detachment dynamics
Britney L. Phippen, James D. Oliver
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv072?
Comparison of the efficacy of natural-based and synthetic biocides to disinfect silicone and stainless steel surfaces
I. B. Gomes, J. Malheiro, F. Mergulhão, J.-Y. Maillard, M. Simões
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw014?
Cyclic dipeptide cyclo(L-leucyl-L-prolyl) from marine Bacillus amyloliquefaciens mitigates biofilm formation and virulence in Listeria monocytogenes
Shanmugaraj Gowrishankar, Murugesan Sivaranjani, Arumugam Kamaladevi, Arumugam Veera Ravi, Krishnaswamy Balamurugan, Shunmugiah Karutha Pandian
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw017?
Elution of antibiotics from poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement after extended implantation does not necessarily clear the infection despite susceptibility of the clinical isolates
Matthew C. Swearingen, Jeffrey F. Granger, Anne Sullivan, Paul Stoodley
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv103
Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis are able to incorporate and enhance a pre-formed Gardnerella vaginalis biofilm
Joana Castro, Daniela Machado, Nuno Cerca
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw007
Fimbriae have distinguishable roles in Proteus mirabilis biofilm formation
Paola Scavone, Victoria Iribarnegaray, Ana Laura Caetano, Geraldine Schlapp, Steffen Härtel, Pablo Zunino
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw033
Heteroresistance to colistin in Klebsiella pneumoniae is triggered by small colony variants sub-populations within biofilms
Ana Silva, Ana Margarida Sousa, Diana Alves, Anália Lourenço, Maria Olívia Pereira
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw036
Increased bactericidal activity of colistin on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in anaerobic conditions
Mette Kolpen, Cecilie F. Appeldorff, Sarah Brandt, Nabi Mousavi, Kasper N. Kragh, Sevtap Aydogan, Haleema A. Uppal, Thomas Bjarnsholt, Oana Ciofu, Niels Høiby, Peter Ø. Jensen
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv086
Interkingdom cooperation between Candida albicans, Streptococcus oralis and Actinomyces oris modulates early biofilm development on denture material
Indira M. G. Cavalcanti, Angela H. Nobbs, Antônio Pedro Ricomini-Filho, Howard F. Jenkinson, Altair A. Del Bel Cury
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw002
Lactobacilli require physical contact to reduce staphylococcal TSST-1 secretion and vaginal epithelial inflammatory response
Jessica A. Younes, Gregor Reid, Henny C. van der Mei, Henk J. Busscher
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw029
Multiple mechanisms responsible for strong Congo-red-binding variants of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains
Chin-Yi Chen, Ly-Huong T. Nguyen, Bryan J. Cottrell, Peter L. Irwin, Gaylen A. Uhlich
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv123
Plasma is the main regulator of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms virulence genes transcription in human blood
Angela França, Nuno Cerca
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv125
Preliminary Results of A New Antibiotic Susceptibility Test Against Biofilm Installation in Device Associated Infections: The Antibiofilmogram®
Jason Tasse, Delphine Croisier, Stéphanie Badel-Berchoux, Pascal Chavanet, Thierry Bernardi, Christian Provot, Frédéric Laurent
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw057
Rifampicin-containing combinations are superior to combinations of vancomycin, linezolid and daptomycin against Staphylococcus aureus biofilm infection in vivo and in vitro
Nils Pedersen Jørgensen, Sandra M. Skovdal, Rikke L. Meyer, Frederik Dagnæs-Hansen, Kurt Fuursted, Eskild Petersen
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw019
Role of Candida albicans secreted aspartyl protease Sap9 in interkingdom biofilm formation
Lindsay C. Dutton, Howard F. Jenkinson, Richard J. Lamont, Angela H. Nobbs
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw005
Sensing developing biofilms: the bitter receptor T2R38 on myeloid cells
Matthias Martin Gaida, Ulrike Dapunt, Gertrud Maria Hänsch
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw004
Staphylococcus epidermidis: metabolic adaptation and biofilm formation in response to different oxygen concentrations
Cristina Uribe-Alvarez, Natalia Chiquete-Félix, Martha Contreras-Zentella, Sergio Guerrero-Castillo, Antonio Peña, Salvador Uribe-Carvajal
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv111
Subinhibitory concentrations of metronidazole increase biofilm formation in Clostridium difficile strains
Claudia Vuotto, Ines Moura, Fabrizio Barbanti, Gianfranco Donelli, Patrizia Spigaglia
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftv114
Synergistic activity between an antimicrobial polyacrylamide and daptomycin versus Staphylococcus aureus biofilm
Wafi Siala, Françoise Van Bambeke, Vincenzo Taresco, Antonella Piozzi, Iolanda Francolini
Pathogens and Disease DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femspd/ftw042
