Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Structural Diversity in Early-Stage Biofilm Formation on Microplastics Depends on Environmental Medium and Polymer Properties

This study examined the early stages of bacterial biofilm formation on different types of plastic surfaces in different environmental media, finding that both the growth medium and the polymer type influenced which microbial communities colonized the plastic. These plastic-associated biofilms (the plastisphere) can make microplastics more appealing to filter-feeding organisms that mistake them for food.

2020 Water 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Microplastics as Attachment Media for the Growth of Microorganisms

Researchers reviewed how microplastics serve as attachment media for microbial growth, finding that biofilms forming on microplastic surfaces create unique microbial communities — including potential pathogens — that differ from those in surrounding environments.

2022 Environmental footprints and eco-design of products and processes 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Structural and Functional Characteristics of Microplastic Associated Biofilms in Response to Temporal Dynamics and Polymer Types

Researchers found that biofilm structural and functional characteristics on microplastics differ significantly depending on polymer type (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) and change over time, with implications for understanding microbial colonization and the plastisphere.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Colonization in Marine Environments: Overview of Current Knowledge and Emerging Research Topics

This review examines how microorganisms colonize submerged surfaces in aquatic environments, with a focus on the factors shaping biofilm communities on microplastics. The authors discuss how the chemical and physical properties of plastic surfaces influence microbial attachment and community development compared to natural substrates.

2020 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 154 citations
Article Tier 2

Colonization characteristics and surface effects of microplastic biofilms: Implications for environmental behavior of typical pollutants

This review examines how bacteria colonize microplastic surfaces in water, forming biofilms that change how the plastics behave in the environment. These biofilms alter the surface properties of microplastics and affect how they absorb and transport heavy metals and other pollutants. Understanding biofilm formation on microplastics is important because it can make the particles more dangerous by concentrating toxic substances that could eventually enter the food chain.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid Physicochemical Changes in Microplastic Induced by Biofilm Formation

Researchers studied how biofilm formation rapidly changes the physical and chemical properties of microplastics over a two-week period. The study found significant two-way interactions between microbial communities and plastic surfaces, with biofilm colonization altering surface properties of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene, while the type of polymer influenced which microbial communities developed.

2020 Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 159 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm Formation of Clinically Important Bacteria on Bio-Based and Conventional Micro/Submicron-Sized Plastics.

This study compared how clinically important bacteria form biofilms on bio-based versus conventional plastic surfaces of similar size, finding differences in biofilm formation patterns between bioplastics and their conventional equivalents. The results suggest that the push to replace conventional plastics with bioplastics should consider how these materials interact with potentially harmful bacteria.

2020 Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology
Article Tier 2

Novel droplet-based approach for investigating bacterial biofilm formation on microplastic

Researchers developed a droplet-based microfluidic approach to study bacterial biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces, enabling high-throughput screening of how different polymer types and surface conditions influence plastisphere community development.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

[Enrichment Characteristics and Ecological Risk Prediction of Pathogens on Typical Microplastic Biofilms].

This study investigated which pathogens preferentially colonize biofilms on different types of microplastic surfaces in aquatic environments and assessed the associated ecological and public health risks. Microplastic biofilms showed selective enrichment of specific pathogen groups compared to surrounding water, with biofilm-forming potential varying by polymer type.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Time-series incubations in a coastal environment illuminates the importance of early colonizers and the complexity of bacterial biofilm dynamics on marine plastics

Researchers used time-series incubations in a coastal marine environment to track plastisphere biofilm formation on microplastics, finding that early bacterial colonizers play a disproportionate role in shaping community dynamics and that biofilm composition is highly complex, varying with polymer type, incubation time, and surrounding environment.

2022 Environmental Pollution 28 citations
Article Tier 2

New insight into the effect of microplastics on antibiotic resistance and bacterial community of biofilm

Researchers found that different types of microplastics promote distinct biofilm communities and enhance antibiotic resistance gene proliferation compared to natural substrates, suggesting microplastics serve as unique platforms for the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

2023 Chemosphere 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation on microplastics in wastewater: insights into factors, diversity and inactivation strategies

This study investigated how bacteria form biofilms on different types of microplastics in wastewater, finding that polyethylene supported the most biofilm growth, especially in dark, warm, oxygen-rich conditions. The biofilms contained bacteria from groups that include potential human pathogens, and different plastic types supported different microbial communities. This matters because microplastics coated in bacterial biofilms could transport harmful microorganisms through water systems and into the environment.

2023 International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Unique Bacterial Community of the Biofilm on Microplastics in Coastal Water

Researchers compared bacterial communities forming biofilms on steel, silica, and PVC microplastic surfaces in coastal seawater and found that biofilm composition differed by material type. This shows that the type of plastic surface influences which microbial communities colonize it, with implications for how microplastics may spread specific bacteria.

2020 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilm Dynamics and Environmental Implications on Plastic Surfaces

This chapter reviews biofilm formation dynamics on marine microplastics, examining how material properties, environmental conditions, and microbial succession drive plastisphere development and discussing ecological implications including the spread of antibiotic resistance genes.

2025
Article Tier 2

Early stage of biofilm assembly on microplastics is structured by substrate size and bacterial motility

Researchers found that early-stage biofilm assembly on microplastics is strongly influenced by substrate size, with 0.3-mm particles harboring distinct bacterial communities enriched in motility and chemotaxis genes compared to larger 3-mm microplastics.

2023 iMeta 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Enumeration of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria in early-stage of biofilm formed on different plastic types

Researchers found that bacteria begin colonising common plastic surfaces — polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene — within hours of water exposure, forming measurable biofilms within three weeks. This matters because plastic debris in aquatic environments quickly becomes a habitat for microbes, potentially transporting pathogens or creating a "plastisphere" that could amplify the ecological risks of microplastic pollution.

2023 International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics
Article Tier 2

Biofilm formation on polyethylene microplastics and their role as transfer vector of emerging organic pollutants

This study examined how bacteria form biofilms on polyethylene microplastics and whether those biofilms help transport organic pollutants like common pharmaceuticals and pesticides. Researchers found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa readily colonized microplastics, and the presence of contaminants in the water altered biofilm characteristics. The findings suggest that microplastics in waterways may act as carriers that help spread pharmaceutical and chemical pollutants through aquatic environments.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Colonization characteristics of bacterial communities on plastic debris: The localization of immigrant bacterial communities

Researchers investigated the colonization characteristics of bacterial communities on plastic debris in environmental settings, finding that the localization of immigrant bacterial communities on plastic surfaces reflects specific colonization dynamics distinct from random sampling effects.

2021 Water Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Genomic and proteomic profiles of biofilms on microplastics are decoupled from artificial surface properties

Genomic and proteomic analysis of biofilms on marine microplastics showed that community composition and functional profiles were primarily shaped by environmental conditions rather than the specific surface properties of the plastic substrate.

2021 Environmental Microbiology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel droplet-based approach for investigating bacterial biofilm formation on microplastic

Researchers developed a droplet-based microfluidic approach to study bacterial biofilm formation on microplastics, enabling high-throughput analysis of how plastic surfaces promote biofilm growth. The method revealed that microplastics support biofilm formation that can harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria, linking plastic pollution to antimicrobial resistance concerns.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Strategies for biofilm optimization of plastic-degrading microorganisms and isolating biofilm formers from plastic-contaminated environments

This study investigated biofilm formation as a prerequisite for microbial plastic degradation, both optimizing biofilm formation in known plastic degraders and isolating novel biofilm formers from plastic-contaminated environments. Strategies to enhance surface colonization were evaluated as a practical step toward improving plastic biodegradation efficiency.

2024 Sustainable Microbiology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

The Importance of Biofilms to the Fate and Effects of Microplastics

This review examines how biofilms — communities of microorganisms that form on microplastic surfaces — affect the fate and ecological effects of plastic pollution. Biofilm formation alters how microplastics are transported, ingested, and degraded in the environment, and the plastisphere can harbor pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria that may pose risks to human health.

2020 IntechOpen eBooks 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating Biofilms: Advanced Methods for Comprehending Microbial Behavior and Antibiotic Resistance

This review summarizes recent advances in biofilm research, focusing on how communities of microorganisms form protective layers on surfaces and become resistant to antibiotics. The sticky matrix that holds biofilms together plays a key role in spreading antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because microplastics in the environment serve as surfaces where these resistant biofilms can form and spread.

2024 Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding the Fundamental Basis for Biofilm Formation on Plastic Surfaces: Role of Conditioning Films

This review examined how conditioning films — layers of proteins, polysaccharides, and other biomolecules that form on plastic surfaces in aquatic environments — alter surface properties and govern early microbial colonization, playing a critical role in plastisphere community development.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 165 citations