Factors Affecting Biofilm Formation and the Effects of These Factors on Bacteria

Biofilm structures are communities that emerge from microorganisms adhering to a surface and living in an extracellular polymer matrix (biofilm matrix). Biofilm formation is affected by various factors, such as strain type, the presence of other bacteria, extracellular polymeric substances, cell adhesion molecules, environmental conditions (such as temperature, pH, salt, relative humidity, oxygen availability, and nutrients), surface properties (such as carrier interface, hydrophobicity, wettability, and roughness), bacterial genome, hydrodynamic conditions, physicochemical properties, cell-to-cell signaling (quorum sensing), bacterial motility. Biofilm can form on the surfaces of devices used in the food and medical sectors (such as stainless steel, glass, and polyurethane) and cause device-related infections. This study presents the factors affecting biofilm formation and on which surfaces the biofilm structure is formed, especially in the food and medical sectors. Identifying the internal and external factors that influence the biofilm life cycle allows for the identification of current strategies for promoting the formation of beneficial biofilms and eliminating harmful biofilms.