1 Contents

1 Introduction to Biofilms

2 Biofilm Growth and Development

3 Beneficial and Naturally Occurring Biofilms

4 Biofilms in Health and Medicine

5 Biofilms in Industrial Environments

6 Characterizing and Understanding Biofilms

7 Controlling Biofilms

8 Methods for Studying Biofilms

9 Mathematical Models of Biofilms

10 Diffusion in Biofilms

11 Lab Exercises

                        Chapter Overview

                        A Brief Introduction to Biofilms

                        A Brief History of Biofilms

                Biofilms Around Us, On Us, and In Us

                What Is Their Impact?

                What Are Their Characteristics?

1 Biofilms are Complex, Dynamic Structures

2 Bacteria in a Biofilm Have Different Characteristics than the Same Bacteria in Isolation

3 Microbes in a Biofilm Can Communicate With Each Other

4 Microbes in a Biofilm are Harder to Kill than Microbes in Isolation

5 Section Quiz

1 Aids for Instructors

2 References

1 Read Me First

2 System Requirements

3 Navigating