Genetic approaches to study of biofilms
Abstract
Interest in the study of microbial biofilms has increased greatly in recent years due in large part to the profound impact biofilms have in clinical, industrial, and natural settings. Traditionally, the study of biofilms has been approached from an ecological or engineering perspective, using a combination of classical microbiology and advanced microscopy. We and others have begun to use genetic approaches to understand the development of these complex communities. To begin we must answer the question: What is a biofilm? This definition, by necessity, may be quite broad because it is clear that many organisms can attach to a variety of surfaces under diverse environmental conditions. Therefore, in the context of this article we will operationally define a biofilm as bacteria that are attached to a surface in sufficient numbers to be detected macroscopically.
Additional Information
© 1999 Academic Press.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 38302
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130506-152623748
- Created
-
2013-09-19Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Series Name
- Methods in enzymology
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 310