The non-attached biofilm aggregate

作者：Kasper Nørskov Kragh, Tim Tolker‐Nielsen, Mads Lichtenberg · 发表于：Communications Biology · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1038/s42003-023-05281-4 · 被引用次数：103 · 研究领域：Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing、Polymer Surface Interaction Studies、Legionella and Acanthamoeba research

Biofilms have conventionally been perceived as dense bacterial masses on surfaces, following the five-step model of development. Initial biofilm research focused on surface-attached formations, but detached aggregates have received increasing attention in the past decade due to their pivotal role in chronic infections. Understanding their nature sparked fervent discussions in biofilm conferences and scientific literature. This review consolidates current insights on non-attached aggregates, offering examples of their occurrence in nature and diseases. We discuss their formation and dispersion mechanisms, resilience to antibiotics and immune-responses, drawing parallels to surface-attached biofilms. Moreover, we outline available in vitro models for studying non-attached aggregates.