Biofilms are an organized and structured community of microorganisms encased in a self-produced polymer matrix. The composition of the biofilm matrix can vary across different species, but it typically comprises proteins, exopolysaccharides (EPS), metabolites and extracellular nucleic acids (eDNA and eRNA). Biofilms cause infections by colonizing various surfaces, and when it comes to implanted medical devices, such as prosthetic joints, pacemakers, and catheters, they can lead to life-threatening complications. Currently, biofilms are responsible for many healthcare-related diseases, as the National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that they contribute to approximately 65% of microbial infections and 80% of chronic infections.
Due to their clinical relevance, the enhanced accuracy of biofilm related methodologies will contribute to improving our knowledge of biofilm-related diseases and aiding in the development of effective biofilm control strategies. Owing to their complexity, the study of biofilms is often limited by the techniques available for their analysis. The goal of this research topic is to present new and/or improved techniques for biofilm identification and analysis.
We welcome the contributions for this Research Topic in the form of Methods papers, Original Research papers, and Reviews. The scope encompasses any work that addresses the following themes:
• Biofilms visualization/ imaging techniques.
• Novel methods to detect biofilms.
• Development of novels strategies for the study of biofilms.
• Novel insights in biofilms analysis using current techniques.
We are excited to announce an upcoming webinar dedicated to a comprehensive examination of Advanced Tools and Techniques for Studying Biofilms on Friday the 13th of September.
Our goal is to foster a multidisciplinary dialogue and present new/or improved techniques for biofilm identification and analysis. You can register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/becaff7a-ab08-477d-ab9e-5b7ae05a6960@261840cf-2f46-4a31-8877-b02796595bed or
please use this link to join the event today:
https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_Y2Y5ODMzMjgtMDI3MC00Zjc4LTlhNDItYTIwNjJiNGY3MDcx%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522261840cf-2f46-4a31-8877-b02796595bed%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%2522afe1e8ce-2c0f-4de7-ab39-99ca740e746b%2522%252c%2522prid%2522%253a%25224793837a-db16-4b9a-a7ce-3f8061de847d%2522%252c%2522isPublic%2522%253atrue%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=32619b60-4e37-4376-a753-eb51ca718631&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true
Keywords: Biofilms, Confocal microscopy, Transcriptomics, Biofilm Regulation, Biofilm Sensors
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.