Five Main Stages of Biofilm Formation

Biofilms form in a predictable but complex fashion, beginning when planktonic cells adhere to a surface in a weak, reversible, and non-specific manner and begin to excrete EPS. This is the first in a series of five main stages of biofilm formation that include: (i) the reversible attachment phase; (ii) the irreversible attachment phase, where interaction between surfaces and lipopolysaccharides found on hair-like bacterial appendages (pili or fimbriae) form tight ionic attachments; (iii) production of EPS by the cells forming the biofilm; (iv) biofilm maturation during which cells grow, cell density increases, and cells synthesize and release signaling molecules allowing them to sense and communicate with each other; and (v) dispersal or detachment phase, where the cells depart in large numbers to become planktonic cells again.

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