Research: Biofilms

About our research

Almost all microorganisms live in complex community structures known as biofilms.

Biofilms can involve single or mixed species of bacteria, fungi and protozoa, where cells group together (and often stick to a surface), making them difficult to remove while increasing tolerance to antimicrobial treatments.

Biofilms pose a very real problem for a wide variety of industries and sectors. Unwanted biofilms in settings such as water pipes and in food-processing plants run the risk of spreading contamination and creating blockages and erosion.

Notably, biofilms in the clinical setting are able to form in a patient’s wounds such as burns, on removable prosthetic devices such as dentures, and via an indwelling device such as pin-tract or catheters. This leads to difficult-to-treat infections and costly replacement of contaminated materials.

Our approach

We actively take a multidisciplinary and multi-angled approach to biofilm research. Our research aims to understand biofilms in single and polymicrobial communities, using a range of different biofilm models as well as in vivo biofilm analysis.

We actively work with other disciplines to create novel approaches to biofilm control/removal, ranging from surface modification to novel anti-biofilm agents like metal complexes and bacteriophage.

To support this work, we use equipment/techniques such as confocal laser scanning microscopy and whole-genome sequencing to understand and explain biofilm phenotypes.