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March 10, 2014

Researchers tackle dangerous, but poorly understood biofilms


Until now, biofilms have been poorly understood. Yet, they can be costly and dangerous. Infections related to hip- and knee-replacement surgery are often related to biofilms. And biofilms are highly tolerant to antibiotics. Persister cells actually go dormant during treatment and when the treatment stops, they return and repopulate. Biofilms in oil and water pipelines can rot the metal from inside, destroying infrastructure and potentially introducing contaminants into the water supply.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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