Abstract
Microbial biofilms are communities of microbial cells that can interact with other microorganisms or form monofilms. Bacterial biofilms are resistant to various influences, including the action of antibiotics and chemical disinfectants and microbes inside of biofilms are protected from external influences much more effectively than planktonic cells. Biofilms are a form of microbial communities attached to various abiotic and biotic surfaces. Biofilms consist of microorganisms and an extracellular matrix, which consists of polysaccharides, proteins and DNA, and the extracellular matrix is a production of microbes of these biofilm communities. As a rule, several types of microorganisms coexist in biofilms in the form of a single community. It has been shown that numerous physiological processes, including the production of metabolites and biologically active substances, proceed in a biofilm differently than in pure planktonic bacterial cultures. The response of microorganisms to changes in environmental conditions in a biofilm differs significantly from the reaction of each individual species in a monoculture. This organization provides it functional stability and contributes to competitive survival in an ecological niche. Biofilms are formed on surface of medical equipment as catheters, implants and lenses, and these microbial communities are also found on surface of teeth. In biofilms, bacterial consortia are protected from phagocytosis and other components of the immune response. As a result, biofilms can cause chronic diseases in the human body that are difficult to treat, leading to the formation of medical complications. On the other hand, biofilms are found in various ecosystems and can be used as active producers of substances necessary for humans.