Escherichea coli Biofilm Formation and Susceptibility in Response to Increased Shear Stresses

The development of biofilms, well organized communities of bacterial cells embedded in a self-generated extra-cellular polymeric matrix, on medical devices (vascular or urinary catheters, surgical implants) and surrounding tissue poses a great challenge for modern medicine. The biofilm environment confers onto bacterial cells resistance to antimicrobials and the host immune system that leads to persistent and recurrent device-associated infections, deterioration of patient life quality, and often replacement of the device [1].Copyright © 2008 by ASME