This book provides a survey of recent advances in the development of antibiofilm agents for clinical and environmental applications. The fact that microbes exist in structured communities called biofilms has slowly become accepted within the medical community. We now know that over 80% of all infectious diseases are biofilm-related; however, significant challenges still lie in our ability to diagnose and treat these extremely recalcitrant infections.

Written by experts from around the globe, this book offers a valuable resource for medical professionals seeking to treat biofilm-related disease, academic and industry researchers interested in drug discovery and instructors who teach courses on microbial pathogenesis and medical microbiology.

Part I: Medical Biofilms

Biofilms in Disease
The Use of DNA Methods to Characterize Biofilm Infection
Imaging Biofilms in Tissue Specimens
Mechanisms of Drug Resistance in Fungi and Their Significance in Biofilms
Horizontal Gene Transfer in Planktonic and Biofilm Modes
The Role of Quorum Sensing in Biofilm Development
Part II: Strategies for Biofilm Control
Current and Emergent Control Strategies for Medical Biofilms
The Effect of Plasmids and Other Biomolecules on the Effectiveness of Antibiofilm Agents
Antimicrobial Coatings to Prevent Biofilm Formation on Medical Devices
Medicinal Plants and Phytocompounds: A Potential Source of Novel Antibiofilm Agents
Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilm Formation and Inhibition
Novel Targets for Treatment Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilms
Inhibition of Fungal Biofilms
Biofilm Control Strategies in Dental Health
Inhibition of Polymicrobial Biofilms: Recent Trends
Antibiofilm Strategies in the Food Industry
Part III: The Future of Antibiofilm Agents
Biofilm Inhibition by Nanoparticles
Drug Delivery Systems That Eradicate and/or Prevent Biofilm Formation
Eradication of Wound Biofilms by Electrical Stimulation
The Effects of Photodynamic Therapy in Oral Biofilms
Clinical and Regulatory Development of Antibiofilm Drugs: The Need, The Potential and The Challenges.