Productive biofilms: from prokaryotic to eukaryotic systems

Abstract

Biofilms have great potential for producing valuable products more efficiently than suspended cultivations when it comes to yield and productivity. In addition, biofilms have the advantage of cell protection and increased resistance to environmental influences. Therefore, productive biofilms are used in biofilm reactors to produce value‐added products. A summary of possible applications for biofilm reactors is given here. In addition, the surfaces on which biofilms are cultivated are briefly explained. The possibility of using biofilms is not limited to prokaryotic systems. Thus, eukaryotic systems can also be cultivated as biofilms to produce valuable products. Therefore, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic productive biofilms will be described in this review. In the case of eukaryotic systems, fungal biofilms and plant biofilms will be discussed. The biofilm formation of the different cell types is listed and the productivity of a cell line on a corresponding substrate is summarized. Finally, the investigation methods of biofilms are discussed, as these methods are essential to understanding biofilms. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

3D bioprinting of microorganisms: principles and applications

“…For material production, Clostridium acetobutylicum is a well-researched bacterium with a lengthy industrial history that has been suggested as a potential substitute for the production of biofuels [ 141 ]. Schmeckebier et al [ 144 ] successfully used C. acetobutylicum in artificial biofilms in a laboratory unsaturated flow reactor to produce alternative biofuels like butanol and hydrogen [ 144 , 145 ]. Napoli et al [ 141 ] used immobilized C. acetobotylicum on Tygon (Saint-Gobain Corporation, Courbevoie, France) as a carrier in a continuous packed bed reactor (PBR).…”

“…However, with immobilized cells in bioproduction, there are drawbacks to be taken into account, such as limiting mass transfer in the biofilm and managing biofilm growth [ 144 ]. The use of 3D-printed engineered biofilms are promising for environmental purification processes, such as bioremediation, heavy metal and rare earth element extraction, organic carbon removal, and wastewater treatment facilities [ 118 , 146 ].…”