%0 Journal Article %1 noauthororeditor %A Peterson, Brandon W. %A He, Yan %A Ren, Yijin %A Zerdoum, Aidan %A Libera, Matthew R. %A Sharma, Prashant K. %A van Winkelhoff, Arie-Jan %A Neut, Danielle %A Stoodley, Paul %A van der Mei, Henny C. %A Busscher, Henk J. %D 2015 %J FEMS Microbiology Reviews %K 74d05-materials-with-linear-constitutive-equations 76a10-viscoelastic-fluids 92c10-biomechanics 92c70-microbiology biofilm %N 2 %P 234–245 %R 10.1093/femsre/fuu008 %T Viscoelasticity of biofilms and their recalcitrance to mechanical and chemical challenges %U https://academic.oup.com/femsre/article/39/2/234/635745 %V 39 %X We summarize different studies describing mechanisms through which bacteria in a biofilm mode of growth resist mechanical and chemical challenges. Acknowledging previous microscopic work describing voids and channels in biofilms that govern a biofilms response to such challenges, we advocate a more quantitative approach that builds on the relation between structure and composition of materials with their viscoelastic properties. Biofilms possess features of both viscoelastic solids and liquids, like skin or blood, and stress relaxation of biofilms has been found to be a corollary of their structure and composition, including the EPS matrix and bacterial interactions. Review of the literature on viscoelastic properties of biofilms in ancient and modern environments as well as of infectious biofilms reveals that the viscoelastic properties of a biofilm relate with antimicrobial penetration in a biofilm. In addition, also the removal of biofilm from surfaces appears governed by the viscoelasticity of a biofilm. Herewith, it is established that the viscoelasticity of biofilms, as a corollary of structure and composition, performs a role in their protection against mechanical and chemical challenges. Pathways are discussed to make biofilms more susceptible to antimicrobials by intervening with their viscoelasticity, as a quantifiable expression of their structure and composition.

@article{noauthororeditor, abstract = {We summarize different studies describing mechanisms through which bacteria in a biofilm mode of growth resist mechanical and chemical challenges. Acknowledging previous microscopic work describing voids and channels in biofilms that govern a biofilms response to such challenges, we advocate a more quantitative approach that builds on the relation between structure and composition of materials with their viscoelastic properties. Biofilms possess features of both viscoelastic solids and liquids, like skin or blood, and stress relaxation of biofilms has been found to be a corollary of their structure and composition, including the EPS matrix and bacterial interactions. Review of the literature on viscoelastic properties of biofilms in ancient and modern environments as well as of infectious biofilms reveals that the viscoelastic properties of a biofilm relate with antimicrobial penetration in a biofilm. In addition, also the removal of biofilm from surfaces appears governed by the viscoelasticity of a biofilm. Herewith, it is established that the viscoelasticity of biofilms, as a corollary of structure and composition, performs a role in their protection against mechanical and chemical challenges. Pathways are discussed to make biofilms more susceptible to antimicrobials by intervening with their viscoelasticity, as a quantifiable expression of their structure and composition.}, added-at = {2023-10-04T03:28:13.000+0200}, author = {Peterson, Brandon W. and He, Yan and Ren, Yijin and Zerdoum, Aidan and Libera, Matthew R. and Sharma, Prashant K. and van Winkelhoff, Arie-Jan and Neut, Danielle and Stoodley, Paul and van der Mei, Henny C. and Busscher, Henk J.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/25e256c4119c04f07c05e01e88277603e/gdmcbain}, doi = {10.1093/femsre/fuu008}, interhash = {89a89d1b6ecb27955a2401a1a6221283}, intrahash = {5e256c4119c04f07c05e01e88277603e}, journal = {FEMS Microbiology Reviews}, keywords = {74d05-materials-with-linear-constitutive-equations 76a10-viscoelastic-fluids 92c10-biomechanics 92c70-microbiology biofilm}, month = mar, number = 2, pages = {234–245}, timestamp = {2023-10-04T03:28:13.000+0200}, title = {Viscoelasticity of biofilms and their recalcitrance to mechanical and chemical challenges }, url = {https://academic.oup.com/femsre/article/39/2/234/635745}, volume = 39, year = 2015 }