biofilms

A bacterial biofilm is like a house for bacteria in which they wrap themselves to protect from the environment. Bacterial biofilms are difficult to get rid of, which is why they are important in clinical settings. Here, we will look at the functions of bacterial biofilms and why they are important for bacteria.

Bacteria like Desulfovibrio vulgaris produce scissors that cut the bacteria free from their biofilms.
Biofilms protect bacteria like a house. By Noémie Matthey.

Even at the dark and cold bottom of the sea, microbes flourish

Microbes are everywhere. And some have superpowers that allow them to grow in extremely challenging and harsh environments. Especially at the dark and cold bottom of the sea, extremophiles flourish since they interact with other microbes and eat pollutants and contaminants. Interestingly, their microbial activities can also impact our global climate.

Bacterial killer weapons as biocontrol to protect plants

To feed the growing population on our planet, we need to improve our agriculture for plants to stay healthy and produce crops efficiently. One way to protect plants from diseases is to use biocontrol bacteria that actively kill intruding pathogens. Hence, by increasing our food supply, bacteria can help us save this planet.

Comic of the different shapes of bacteria

Looking fabulous: Why bacteria need to stay in shape too

For a long time, bacteria were classified according to their shapes. With new technologies, we learned that the bacterial shapes help them survive in their environments and face harsh conditions. Spheres, rods, stars and screws: Learn about the different bacterial shapes.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae uses their bacterial pili to attach to human gut cells.

About twitching bacteria and their pili

Some bacteria have special hair-like structures to connect to surfaces or other organisms. These bacterial pili help them move along that surface or pull themselves closer to a prey or host. Read about why bacteria need those pili when they are out hunting or infecting us.

Microbes as biofertilizers

Microbes produce nutrients and help promote plant growth to produce more bountiful crops and sustainable agriculture.

Bacterial glue to grow and survive

To grow biofilms in water, bacteria need to properly glue themselves to a given surface. The bacterium Caulobacter crescentus produces a bacterial glue that is super strong so that the bacteria will not get washed away. Thanks to this glue, Caulobacter can settle down on almost any surface to build biofilms in water.

How bacteria fight off viruses

Bacteria are constantly attacked by other microbes like viruses. But also bacteria developed mechanisms that make them immune to viral intruders. Read on to find out how bacteria fight off viruses to protect themselves and the whole bacterial community.

Bacteria can degrade plastics and help us with the plastic pollution in the environment

Plastic Degrading Microbes For a Cleaner Future

Throughout your day, you’re likely using several pieces of plastics. All this plastic waste takes up space in our landfills and overflows into rivers and oceans. Luckily, some bacteria can eat and degrade plastic to help us get rid of all this clutter. Read on to learn how plastic-degrading bacteria may be the key to a greener and healthier planet.

Phages form nets around bacteria to separate them from the environment and protect from toxic compounds.

Love thy host: Phages protect bacteria from antibiotics

The players in the microbial world always interact with each other driving ecology and evolution forward. Bacteriophages thank their bacterial hosts for their production in a very special way: They protect bacteria from antibiotic attacks by forming shielding walls around the cells. While the microbial world gets more and more complex with such mechanisms, it also represents another strategy for antimicrobial resistances.

Bacteria like Desulfovibrio vulgaris produce scissors that cut the bacteria free from their biofilms.

Bacteria breaking free from home

To protect themselves from the environment, bacteria build shielding biofilms houses. But once such a house gets old, bacteria need to break out it. For that, bacteria produce special scissors that can break biofilms and set free the bacteria.

Bacteria cause caries by producing an acidic environment.

How bacteria cause caries on your teeth

Bacteria in your mouth protect your teeth from pathogenic bacteria. When you eat lots of sugars, the pathogens can fight off your friendly bacteria. The more pathogenic bacteria grow on your teeth, the more acids they produce that can cause caries and cavities. Learn about the bacterial battles in your mouths.

The bacterial cycle of biofilm formation

Bacteria building houses

Bacteria can be major problems for human health. One of the reasons for that is because they have the ability to hide in their own houses. Such a house is called a bacterial biofilm which protect bacteria from harsh environments, toxic chemicals and to form a community within the biofilm.

Multidrug resistant bacteria have many different ways of dealing with antibiotics

About antimicrobial resistance mechanisms

Bacteria developed different antimicrobial resistance mechanisms to get rid of antibiotics. Here, you will learn what bacteria do with antibiotics so that they don’t harm them and what superbugs are.

Bacteria form nanotubes between cells to exchange nutrients

How bacteria feed each other in times of hunger

When bacteria are hungry, they sometimes also need the help of their friends. In that case, bacteria can build little tubes between them to exchange nutrients. With this bacterial nanotube, they can exchange nutrients and thus feed each other to make sure everyone survives.

A bacterial biofilm is like a house for bacteria in which they wrap themselves to protect from the environment. Bacterial biofilms are difficult to get rid of, which is why they are important in clinical settings. Here, we will look at the functions of bacterial biofilms and why they are important for bacteria.

Bacteria like Desulfovibrio vulgaris produce scissors that cut the bacteria free from their biofilms.
Biofilms protect bacteria like a house. By Noémie Matthey.

Learn more about the fascinating world of bacteria