For a long time, it was considered that interactions between microbes are only inhibitory in nature. However, latest developments in research have demonstrated that within our environment, several classes of microbes exist which produce different products upon interaction and thus embrace a wider scope of useful and potentially valuable aspects beyond simple antibiosis. Therefore, the current review explores different types of microbial interactions and describes the role of various physical, chemical, biological, and genetic factors regulating such interactions. It further explains the mechanism of action of biofilm formation and role of secondary metabolites regulating bacteria-fungi interaction. Special emphasis and focus is placed on microbial interactions which are important in medicine, food industry, agriculture, and environment. In short, this review reveals the recent contributions of microbial interaction for the benefit of mankind.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.