ABSTRACT
Bacteria on the surface develop a biofilm-associated community with higher resistance to toxic compounds [1,2] than their planktonic counterparts in the bulk. In general, biofilms result from physicochemical conditions and interactions in the bacteria/environment complex [3,4]. A biofilm consists of a living microbial biomass surrounded by an exopolysaccharide (EPS) envelope, proteins and nucleic acids, which the biofilm microorganisms produce. These components help bacteria to attach to surfaces, stabilize local environment, and spatially organize communities that need to collaborate to use the substrate effectively [5]. The process of the microorganism’s attachment to a surface is very complex, and the nature of both the microbial cell surface and the supporting surface (substratum) is critical for successful attachment [6]. Surface adherence is an important survival mechanism for microorganisms. Moreover, the adhesion kinetics is the unique characteristic of a specific microorganism, differing even among phenotypes and strains [7]. Several major factors affect attachment and consequently biofilm formation: the nature of the cell surface, the chemistry 832and texture of the attachment surface, the nature of the surrounding medium and the temporal and spatial distribution of available nutrients [8–10].
