Translational challenges and opportunities in biofilm science: a BRIEF for the future

Abstract

Biofilms are increasingly recognised as a critical global issue in a multitude of industries impacting health, food and water security, marine sector, and industrial processes resulting in estimated economic cost of $5 trillion USD annually. A major barrier to the translation of biofilm science is the gap between industrial practices and academic research across the biofilms field. Therefore, there is an urgent need for biofilm research to notice and react to industrially relevant issues to achieve transferable outputs. Regulatory frameworks necessarily bridge gaps between different players, but require a clear, science-driven non-biased underpinning to successfully translate research. Here we introduce a 2-dimensional framework, termed the Biofilm Research-Industrial Engagement Framework (BRIEF) for classifying existing biofilm technologies according to their level of scientific insight, including the understanding of the underlying biofilm system, and their industrial utility accounting for current industrial practices. We evidence the BRIEF with three case studies of biofilm science across healthcare, food & agriculture, and wastewater sectors highlighting the multifaceted issues around the effective translation of biofilm research. Based on these studies, we introduce some advisory guidelines to enhance the translational impact of future research.

Biofilms and Chronic Wounds: Pathogenesis and Treatment Options

“…Moving forward, progress will depend on bridging the gap between research and clinical application. Standardized biofilm models are needed to allow reproducible testing of therapies, such as frameworks like BRIEF [ 89 ]. Further work is required to clarify the regulatory and signaling pathways that control biofilm formation and dispersal.…”

Biofilms and Chronic Wounds: Pathogenesis and Treatment Options

“…Moving forward, progress will depend on bridging the gap between research and clinical application. Standardized biofilm models are needed to allow reproducible testing of therapies, such as frameworks like BRIEF [ 89 ]. Further work is required to clarify the regulatory and signaling pathways that control biofilm formation and dispersal.…”

The impact of Caralluma munbyana extracts on Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation

“…Unlike planktonic bacteria, which exist as individual cells in a free-floating state, biofilms consist of communities of bacteria encased in a protective extracellular matrix ( 43 ). This matrix not only shields the bacteria from the immune system but also impedes the penetration of antibacterial agents, making treatment more difficult ( 46 , 47 ). Furthermore, the bacteria within biofilms often exhibit altered metabolic rates, leading to increased resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise be effective against their planktonic counterparts.…”

“…Furthermore, the bacteria within biofilms often exhibit altered metabolic rates, leading to increased resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise be effective against their planktonic counterparts. This resilience is compounded by the presence of diverse bacterial species within a biofilm, which can exchange genetic material, including resistance traits, further complicating treatment efforts ( 46 , 47 ). Consequently, infections associated with biofilms are often persistent and harder to eradicate, necessitating the development of specialized strategies to target these resilient communities ( 8 ).…”

Silver nanoparticles synthesized from Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyoverdine: Antibiofilm and antivirulence agents

“…Bacteria and fungus cells inside biofilms resist drugs and environmental stressors and may even evade the host's immune system [ 60 ]. This poses significant problems in industry, agriculture, and clinical settings [ 61 ]. Biofilm-forming microbial pathogens have also been shown to produce chronic infections by producing different virulence factors, motility, and antibiotic-tolerant persister cells [ 62 ].…”

Biofilms and Chronic Wounds: Pathogenesis and Treatment Options

“…Moving forward, progress will depend on bridging the gap between research and clinical application. Standardized biofilm models are needed to allow reproducible testing of therapies, such as frameworks like BRIEF [ 89 ]. Further work is required to clarify the regulatory and signaling pathways that control biofilm formation and dispersal.…”

The impact of Caralluma munbyana extracts on Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation

“…Unlike planktonic bacteria, which exist as individual cells in a free-floating state, biofilms consist of communities of bacteria encased in a protective extracellular matrix ( 43 ). This matrix not only shields the bacteria from the immune system but also impedes the penetration of antibacterial agents, making treatment more difficult ( 46 , 47 ). Furthermore, the bacteria within biofilms often exhibit altered metabolic rates, leading to increased resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise be effective against their planktonic counterparts.…”

“…Furthermore, the bacteria within biofilms often exhibit altered metabolic rates, leading to increased resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise be effective against their planktonic counterparts. This resilience is compounded by the presence of diverse bacterial species within a biofilm, which can exchange genetic material, including resistance traits, further complicating treatment efforts ( 46 , 47 ). Consequently, infections associated with biofilms are often persistent and harder to eradicate, necessitating the development of specialized strategies to target these resilient communities ( 8 ).…”

Silver nanoparticles synthesized from Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyoverdine: Antibiofilm and antivirulence agents

“…Bacteria and fungus cells inside biofilms resist drugs and environmental stressors and may even evade the host's immune system [ 60 ]. This poses significant problems in industry, agriculture, and clinical settings [ 61 ]. Biofilm-forming microbial pathogens have also been shown to produce chronic infections by producing different virulence factors, motility, and antibiotic-tolerant persister cells [ 62 ].…”

Biofilms and Chronic Wounds: Pathogenesis and Treatment Options

“…Moving forward, progress will depend on bridging the gap between research and clinical application. Standardized biofilm models are needed to allow reproducible testing of therapies, such as frameworks like BRIEF [ 89 ]. Further work is required to clarify the regulatory and signaling pathways that control biofilm formation and dispersal.…”

The impact of Caralluma munbyana extracts on Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation

“…Unlike planktonic bacteria, which exist as individual cells in a free-floating state, biofilms consist of communities of bacteria encased in a protective extracellular matrix ( 43 ). This matrix not only shields the bacteria from the immune system but also impedes the penetration of antibacterial agents, making treatment more difficult ( 46 , 47 ). Furthermore, the bacteria within biofilms often exhibit altered metabolic rates, leading to increased resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise be effective against their planktonic counterparts.…”

“…Furthermore, the bacteria within biofilms often exhibit altered metabolic rates, leading to increased resistance to antibiotics that would otherwise be effective against their planktonic counterparts. This resilience is compounded by the presence of diverse bacterial species within a biofilm, which can exchange genetic material, including resistance traits, further complicating treatment efforts ( 46 , 47 ). Consequently, infections associated with biofilms are often persistent and harder to eradicate, necessitating the development of specialized strategies to target these resilient communities ( 8 ).…”

Silver nanoparticles synthesized from Pseudomonas aeruginosa pyoverdine: Antibiofilm and antivirulence agents

“…Bacteria and fungus cells inside biofilms resist drugs and environmental stressors and may even evade the host's immune system [ 60 ]. This poses significant problems in industry, agriculture, and clinical settings [ 61 ]. Biofilm-forming microbial pathogens have also been shown to produce chronic infections by producing different virulence factors, motility, and antibiotic-tolerant persister cells [ 62 ].…”