ABSTRACT
Antibiotics have revolutionized the treatment of infections, saving millions of lives in the process. Antibiotic resistance occurs when microorganisms acquire the ability to resist the effects of an antimicrobial agent. Biofilms are colonies of bacteria, or more rarely fungi, existing within a hydrated extracellular matrix of polymeric substances (EPS) produced by the organisms. The microorganisms within the biofilm adhere strongly to each other, as well as any surrounding surfaces. Biofilms form on organic or artificial surfaces within the human body. Bacterial biofilms are usually pathogenic in nature and can cause persistent and chronic bacterial infections as well as nosocomial infections. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed that among all microbial and chronic infections; 65% and 80%, respectively, are associated with biofilm formation, which includes both device-related and nondevice-related infections. Biofilm infections are important clinically because bacteria in biofilms exhibit recalcitrance to antimicrobial compounds and persistence despite sustained host defenses.
