Real-time biofilm detection techniques: advances and applications.

Microbial biofilms, complex assemblies enveloped in extracellular matrices, are significant contributors to various infections. Traditional in vitro biofilm characterization methods, though informative, often disrupt the biofilm structure. The need to address biofilm-related infections urgently emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring and timely interventions. This review provides a focused examination of advancements in real-time biofilm detection techniques, specifically in electrochemical, optical and mechanical systems. The potential applications of real-time detection in managing and monitoring biofilm growth in industrial settings, preventing medical infections, comprehending biofilm dynamics and evaluating control strategies highlight the necessity for it. Crucially, the review emphasizes the importance of evaluating these methods for their accuracy and reliability in real-time biofilm detection, offering valuable insights for precise interventions across various applications.

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Combating polymicrobial biofilm: recent approaches.

The polymicrobial biofilm (PMBF) is formed when microbes from multiple species co-aggregate into an envelope made of extra polymeric substances (EPS) that keep the microbes safe from external stresses. The formation of PMBF has been linked to a variety of human infections, including cystic fibrosis, dental caries, urinary tract infections, etc. Multiple microbial species co-aggregation during an infection results in a recalcitrant biofilm formation, which is a seriously threatening phenomenon. It is challenging to treat polymicrobial biofilms since they contain multiple microbes which show drug resistance to various antibiotics/antifungals. The present study discusses various approaches by which an antibiofilm compound works. Depending on their mode of action, antibiofilm compounds can block the adhesion of cells to one another, modify membranes/walls, or disrupt quorum-sensing systems.

Secreted aspartyl proteases family: a perspective review on the regulation of fungal pathogenesis.

Secreted aspartyl proteases (SAPs) are important enzymes for fungal pathogenicity, playing a significant role in infection and survival. This article provides insight into how SAPs facilitate the transformation of yeast cells into hyphae and engage in biofilm formation, invasion and degradation of host cells and proteins. SAPs and their isoenzymes are prevalent during fungal infections, making them a potential target for antifungal and antibiofilm therapies. By targeting SAPs, critical stages of fungal pathogenesis such as adhesion, hyphal development, biofilm formation, host invasion and immune evasion can potentially be disrupted. Developing therapies that target SAPs could provide an effective treatment option for a wide range of fungal infections.

SAPs are enzymes that are important for fungi to cause infections and survive in the host body. This article explains how SAP helps fungi to change their morphology and form a protective layer called a biofilm. SAP also helps fungi invade host cells and break down proteins. Because SAP is present in every stage of fungal infections, it could be a target for new medicines that fight fungal infections and biofilms. By targeting SAP, scientists could stop fungi from adhering to the host, growing into long hyphae, forming biofilms, invading host cells and evading the host immune system. If scientists can develop treatments that target SAP, they may be able to treat a variety of fungal infections more effectively.

Polymicrobial interaction in biofilm: mechanistic insights.

Polymicrobial biofilm (PMBF) formation during multispecies infection is a serious threat growing worldwide. According to CDC, microbial biofilm infection covers more than 65% of total infection. In many diseases, their natural habitat does not have one causative agent because most of the species exist in coaggregation (such as in cystic fibrosis, otitis media, and dental caries) leading to PMBF. PMBF is a big problem in bacterio-fungal and interspecies bacterial diseases that developed during chronic illness and created a major health burden globally. This review focused on various aspects of PMBFs such as why they are forming PMBF arrangements, the significance of studying these biofilms, and the interaction between causative microbes. Also, we reviewed how these interactions and polymicrobial formations make biofilms more recalcitrant toward treatment. Understanding the mechanistic process behind these biofilm formations gives an insight into specific molecules, proteins responsible for their polymicrobial nature, which is likely to be very helpful in antimicrobial research.