There has been an increasing interest and emphasis on the sessile bacterial lifestyle biofilms since it was discovered that the vast majority of the total microbial biomass exists as biofilms. Leeuwenhoek first described the aggregation of bacteria in 1677, but it was only recently recognized as being important in chronic infection. In 1993, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recognized that the biofilm mode of growth was relevant to microbiology. This book covers both the evidence for biofilms in many chronic bacterial infections as well as the problems facing these infections such as diagnostics, pathogenesis, treatment regimes, and in vitro and in vivo models for studying biofilms. This is the first scientific book on biofilm infections, with chapters written by world- renowned scientists and clinicians. The intended audience of this book includes scientists, teachers at the university level, as well as clinicians.

This book will cover both the evidence for biofilms in many chronic bacterial infections as well as the problems facing these infections such as diagnostics and treatment regimes. A still increasing interest and emphasis on the sessile bacterial lifestyle biofilms has been seen since it was realized that that less than 0.1% of the total microbial biomass lives in the planktonic mode of growth. The term was coined in 1978 by Costerton et al. who defined the term biofilm for the first time.In 1993 the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) recognised that the biofilmmode of growth was relevant to microbiology. Lately many articles have been published on the clinical implications of bacterial biofilms. Both original articles and reviews concerning the biofilm problem are available.