On this page a brief outline of the content of the hypertextbook is given. To navigate to the desired chapter, section, and page, use the dropdown menus in the title bar above.
This chapter provides an introduction to the concept and study of biofilms. What are biofilms? Where are they found? Are they harmful? Are they beneficial? Why are they important? These questions, and more, are found in this chapter. More content will be added to this chapter over time, but it is now ready for use. It appears on both the green (novice) and blue (intermediate) tracks.
In this chapter we explore the biofilm phenomenon: historical recognition of the importance of biofilms to an understanding of microbiology; biofilms as natural phenomena; formation, growth, colonization, and defense mechanisms of biofilms. More content is planned for this chapter, and there are still a few images and video clips to identify and include, but it is quite usable now as it stands. It appears only at the blue (intermediate) level at this time.
This chapter exists at present only in first-draft form, but enough is included for an overview of the topics. It is currently being completed and will appear in final draft form soon.
This chapter is planned but is not yet ready for inclusion.
This chapter currently includes content on medical biofilms in wounds. It is being expanded to encompass more health-related areas, including dentistry. At this juncture it exists only at the blue level.
In this chapter the topic of diffusion in biofilms is explored. This topic is important to the understanding and treatment of harmful biofilms. For example, standard practice for many years has been to test the effect of anti-bacterial remedies on bacteria in isolation. Such treatments are often ineffective for treating bacteria as they exist in a biofilm, because of the time required for a chemical to penetrate a biofilm to reach the intended bacteria.
A substantial number of high-quality laboratory exercises have been written, peer reviewed, and tested. These are now being formulated for inclusion in the hypertextbook and will appear soon as an appendix.