The DOI matches its Crossref record; 189 of the 189 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The biofilm matrix: multitasking in a shared space
Open accessAbstract
The biofilm matrix can be considered to be a shared space for the encased microbial cells, comprising a wide variety of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as polysaccharides, proteins, amyloids, lipids and extracellular DNA (eDNA), as well as membrane vesicles and humic-like microbially derived refractory substances. EPS are dynamic in space and time and their components interact in complex ways, fulfilling various functions: to stabilize the matrix, acquire nutrients, retain and protect eDNA or exoenzymes, or offer sorption sites for ions and hydrophobic substances. The retention of exoenzymes effectively renders the biofilm matrix an external digestion system influencing the global turnover of biopolymers, considering the ubiquitous relevance of biofilms. Physico-chemical and biological interactions and environmental conditions enable biofilm systems to morph into films, microcolonies and macrocolonies, films, ridges, ripples, columns, pellicles, bubbles, mushrooms and suspended aggregates — in response to the very diverse conditions confronting a particular biofilm community. Assembly and dynamics of the matrix are mostly coordinated by secondary messengers, signalling molecules or small RNAs, in both medically relevant and environmental biofilms. Fully deciphering how bacteria provide structure to the matrix, and thus facilitate and benefit from extracellular reactions, remains the challenge for future biofilm research. In this Review, Flemming et al. revisit our understanding of the biofilm matrix, focusing on the diversity of the extracellular polymeric substance components and novel aspects of mechanisms and consequences of their functional interactions.
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Cites
Flemming, H.-C., & Wingender, J. (2010) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro2415 · Cited by 10,137
Self-citationBiofilms: an emergent form of bacterial life
Flemming, H.-C., Wingender, J., Szewzyk, U., Steinberg, P., Rice, S. A., & Kjelleberg, S. (2016) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2016.94 · Cited by 5,979
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The extracellular matrix at a glance
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Self-citation
Cited by
Microbial extracellular polymeric substances in the environment, technology and medicine
Flemming, H.-C., van Hullebusch, E. D., Little, B. J., Neu, T. R., Nielsen, P. H., Seviour, T., Stoodley, P., Wingender, J., & Wuertz, S. (2025) · Nature Reviews Microbiology · doi:10.1038/s41579-024-01098-y · Cited by 420
Self-citationWang, Z., Li, B., Nie, C., Zhang, R., Qu, S., Shao, Q., Zhang, X., Li, J., Li, W., Li, H., et al. (2025) · Nano Letters · doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c06284 · Cited by 46
Weerasekera, R., Moreau, A., Huang, X., Nam, K.-M., Hinbest, A. J., Huynh, Y., Liu, X., Ashwood, C., Pepi, L. E., Paulson, E., et al. (2024) · PLOS Pathogens · doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1012750 · Cited by 9
Byeon, C., Kinney, T., Saricayir, H., Holst Hansen, K., Scott, F. J., Srinivasa, S., Wells, M. K., Mentink‐Vigier, F., Kim, W., & Akbey, Ü. (2025) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · doi:10.1002/anie.202418146 · Cited by 7
Metadata
- Authors
- Flemming, H.-C., van Hullebusch, E. D., Neu, T. R., Nielsen, P. H., Seviour, T., Stoodley, P., Wingender, J., & Wuertz, S.
- Venue
- Nature Reviews Microbiology
- Published
- 2022-09-20
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 70-86
- ISSN
- 1740-1526 (ISSN-L)
- 1740-1534
- OpenAlex
- W4296774304
- Cited by
- 983
- References
- 189
- FWCI
- 13.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
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- Flemming, H.-C., van Hullebusch, E. D., Neu, T. R., Nielsen, P. H., Seviour, T., Stoodley, P., Wingender, J., & Wuertz, S. (2023). The biofilm matrix: multitasking in a shared space. Nature Reviews Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00791-0
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