Journal Articles

Biofilms, wound infection and the issue of control

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Biofilms, wound infection and the issue of control

Olusola Okhiria, Rose Cooper
31 August 2006

Biofilms are surface-attached microbial communities with characteristic architecture and phenotypic and biochemical properties distinct from their planktonic counterparts. One of the best-known of these biofilmspecific properties is the development of antibiotic resistance that can be up to 1,000-fold greater than that of planktonic cells. Biofilms are not simply a diffusion barrier to antibiotics, but rather bacteria within these communities employ distinct mechanisms to resist the action of antimicrobial agents. The greater our understanding of the processes involved in biofilm formation, the greater the chance of developing remedies.