Biofilms in Manufactured Materials and Systems

Whereas biofilms in nature tell a good story that helps us understand the biology of our world, biofilms in industry are slime of a different nature. It seems that biofilms are the culprits in a number of problems faced by industry.

We can relate a few examples of biofilm problems that plague industry. For example, biofilm contamination and fouling (sometimes referred to as biofouling) occur in nearly every industrial water-based process, including water treatment and distribution, pulp and paper manufacturing, and the operation of cooling towers. Biofilms are responsible for billions of dollars in lost industrial productivity, as well as product and capital equipment damage each year. Biofilms are notorious for causing pipe plugging, pipe corrosion and water contamination.

Rather than continue with a long list of examples, we will just present you with a slide show that illustrates instances of biofouling in industry.