The ability to construct and maintain a structured multicellular bacterial community depends
critically on the production of extracellular matrix components (1, 2). While the biofilm matrix …

After the first ancient studies on microbial slime (the name by which the biofilm matrix was
initially indicated), multitudes of studies on the morphology, composition and physiology of …

Myxococcus xanthus, like other myxobacteria, is a social bacterium that moves and feeds
cooperatively in predatory groups. On surfaces, rod-shaped vegetative cells move in search …

The significance of extracellular DNA (eDNA) in biofilms was overlooked until researchers
added DNAse to a Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm and watched the biofilm disappear …

Biofilms are highly structured microbial communities that are enmeshed in a self-produced
extracellular matrix. Within the complex oral microbiome, Streptococcus mutans is a major …

Highlights•eDNA is a key component of the biofilm matrix of most bacteria.•DNase inhibits
biofilm formation and disperses young biofilms.•DNase treatment can sensitize biofilms to …

Biofilms are complex microbial microcolonies consisting of planktonic and dormant bacteria
bound to a surface. The bacterial cells within the biofilm are embedded within the …

Streptococcus mutans, a major etiological agent of human dental caries, lives primarily on
the tooth surface in biofilms. Limited information is available concerning the extracellular …

Although the concept of programmed cell death (PCD) in bacteria has been met with
scepticism, a growing body of evidence suggests that it can no longer be ignored. Several …

The extracellular matrix is an integral part of microbial biofilms and an important field of
research. Confocal laser scanning microscopy is a valuable tool for the study of biofilms, and …