Local effects of biofilms on their environments and/or hosts are complex they may be favorable, harmful, or benign, and these effects can change over time. To name just a few, these settings include aquatic environments (e.g., intertidal sediments that are home to cyanobacteria biofilms), artificial structures (e.g., pipelines where algal biofilms flourish), biomaterials (e.g., implanted heart valves where Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms develop), plant tissues (e.g., root legumes colonized by rhizobia biofilms), and mammalian tissues (where Candida albicans biofilms are frequently found). It is now recognized that, for many microorganisms, the biofilm state is probably more relevant to their “natural” settings than to suspension cultures. A near-universal characteristic of biofilms, compared with their free-floating counterparts, is the greater resistance of their cells to chemical and physical insults ( 31, 32). Although biofilms are often attached to solid surfaces, they can also form in other environments, for example, liquid-air interfaces. In the most general sense, a biofilm is a community of adherent cells with properties that are distinct from those of free-floating (planktonic) cells ( 91, 92, 111). Over the last 20 years, the definition of biofilm has evolved from a stringent set of specific criteria to a broader description of microbial community structures observed in both natural and laboratory environments. albicans and closely related fungal species.īiofilms are the predominant growth state of many microorganisms. Here, we review our current knowledge of biofilms formed by C. albicans biofilms are intrinsically resistant to conventional antifungal therapeutics, the host immune system, and other environmental perturbations, making biofilm-based infections a significant clinical challenge. Biofilms are notorious for forming on implanted medical devices, including catheters, pacemakers, dentures, and prosthetic joints, which provide a surface and sanctuary for biofilm growth. albicans (like that of many other microorganisms) depends on its ability to thrive as a biofilm, a closely packed community of cells. albicans have been carried out in suspension cultures however, the medical impact of C. albicans overgrowth, causing a wide range of infections, from superficial mucosal to hematogenously disseminated candidiasis. Alterations in host immunity, stress, resident microbiota, and other factors can lead to C. Candida albicans is the most prevalent fungal species of the human microbiota this species asymptomatically colonizes many areas of the body, particularly the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts of healthy individuals. In humans, microbial cells (including bacteria, archaea, and fungi) greatly outnumber host cells.

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