Chemical Formation of Biofilms in Drug Development

Abstract

Bacterial cells demonstrate two major modes of growth, which are planktonic cells and sessile aggregates, called biofilms. Biofilms are aggregations of micro-organisms where cells fused to one another form a matrix secreted into the extracellular environment which form in multiple biological and ecological environments. The formation of a biofilm entails dynamic processes which require a concurrent series of mechanisms. Over 75% of all infections are affected by microbial biofilms. The main four ways that biofilms have an effect are through promoting the development of antimicrobial drug resistance, causing chronic infections, altering host immunological responses and contaminating medical equipment. The biofilm lifestyle also helps microorganisms survive in challenging environmental circumstances. Various factors influencing the formation of biofilms including nutrients, temperature, oxygen and pH, factors hindering biofilm formation including analog compounds interfering with receptor proteins and hindering biosynthesis of acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signal molecules, and blocking approaches via quorum sensing are examined in this chapter.