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 …

The capacity to release genetic material into the extracellular medium has been reported in
cultures of numerous species of bacteria, archaea, and fungi, and also in the context of …

Most infections result from colonization by more than one microbe. Within such polymicrobial
infections, microbes often display synergistic interactions that result in increased disease …

Aromatic plants produce organic compounds that may be involved in the defense of plants
against phytopathogenic insects, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. One of these compounds …

The death and lysis of microbial cells leads to the release of cytoplasmic contents, many of
which are rapidly degraded by enzymes. However, some macromolecules survive intact and …

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a Gram-positive bacterial
pathogen that causes invasive infections in both children and adults. During pregnancy …

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a common commensal inhabitant of the
nasopharynx and a frequent etiologic agent in serious diseases such as pneumonia, otitis …

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a frequent member of the microbiota of the human
nasopharynx. Colonization of the nasopharyngeal tract is a first and necessary step in the …

It has long been thought that respiratory infections are the direct result of acquisition of
pathogenic viruses or bacteria, followed by their overgrowth, dissemination, and in some …

Biofilms are thought to play an important role during colonization of the nasopharynx by
Streptococcus pneumoniae, yet how they form in vivo and the determinants responsible …