ABSTRACT
REINDERT NIJLAND, MICHAEL J. HALL, and J. GRANT BURGESS
2.1 INTRODUCTION
In their natural environment most bacteria grow within surface attached communities known as biofilms. Bacterial biofilms are problematic in industrial settings, where they contribute to biofouling [1] and in human health, where they contribute directly to antibiotic resistant infections [2], [3]. Biofilms consist of sessile bacteria embedded within a hydrated extracellular matrix, with a physiology, gene expression pattern and morphology that is distinct from planktonic cells [4], [5], [6].
