Antimicrobial Resistance in Biofilms: A Sticky Situation

Abstract

The increased recognition of the impact that biofilm formation has in the clinical and industrial settings has led to an explosion in the field of biofilm research over the past two decades. These studies led to the generation of several hypotheses to account for the exceptional ability of biofilm populations to resist antimicrobial killings. In this review, the various mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance will be examined with a specific emphasis on the predominant pathogens involved in biofilm‐associated infections, that is, staphylococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and the fungal pathogen Candida albicans .