REVIEW article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Extreme Microbiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1602583
This article is part of the Research TopicIndustrial Application of Extreme Microbes: Harnessing the Power of Nature's ExtremophilesView all 7 articles
Bioactivity of biofilm lifestyles in extreme environments
Provisionally accepted
Shriya Prakash Bhat1,2*
David Roach1,3- 1Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
- 2Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- 3Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Biofilms, which are highly structured microbial communities encased in a self-produced matrix, are frequently employed by many bacteria and archaea with significant implications for their survival in extreme environments. These environments, characterized by extreme temperatures, pH, salinity, and variable nutrient availability, can pose challenges that biofilms help organisms overcome through unique adaptations. This review explores the bioactivity of biofilms in extreme environments, highlighting biofilms' ability to produce novel biomolecules and other biofunctions with potential applications in medicine and biotechnology. Key adaptations such as extracellular polymeric substances, cooperative and competitive interactions, and specialized nutrient acquisition strategies are examined for their roles in biofilm resilience and bioactivity. The potential of these biofilms to contribute to the development of novel therapeutics, antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, and anticancer compounds is discussed, underscoring their significance in advancing medical and biotechnological applications. Through an in-depth analysis of current knowledge, this review highlights the bioactive capacities of extremophilic biofilms and their promising applications for human benefit.
Keywords: Biofilms, Bioactivity, extreme environments, EPS, extremophile
Received: 30 Mar 2025; Accepted: 22 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bhat and Roach. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Shriya Prakash Bhat, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.