Abstract: Biofilms present complex assemblies of micro-organisms attached to surfaces. They are dynamic structures in which various metabolic activities and interactions between the component cells occur. When phage come in contact with biofilms, further interactions occur dependent on the susceptibility of the biofilm bacteria to phage and to the availability of receptor sites. If the phage also possess polysaccharide-degrading enzymes, or if considerable cell lysis is effected by the phage, the integrity of the biofilm may rapidly be destroyed. Alternatively, coexistence between phage and host bacteria within the biofilm may develop. Although phage have been proposed as a means of destroying or controlling biofilms, the technology for this has not yet been successfully developed.
From p. 1: "Although phage have been proposed as a means of destroying or controlling biofilms, the technology for this has not yet been successfully developed."
From p. 4: "In their review of phage applications, Marks and Sharp [36] reported proposals to control dental plaque- and caries-inducing Lactobacillus spp. with phage, but no successful reports of this type exist."
From p. 5: "While it has been suggested that phage might prove suitable for controlling biofilms containing enteric and other bacteria, evidence in support of this is still scanty [41]. Sklar and Joerger [42] attempted to use phage to control Salmonella enterica enteritidis in chickens. Bacterial counts were reduced but not eliminated. Earlier studies suggesting the use of phage to control E. coli O157 were also unsuccessful even when cocktails of three different phage were employed in an attempt to ensure that bacteria resistant to one phage would be susceptible to one of the others [43]. Thus, under practical conditions, the failure of phage to completely eliminate the host bacteria, due either to failed access or to emergence of resistant strains, points to the impracticality of such methods. However, few biofilms behave identically. The addition of phage to biofilms in which antagonistic interactions are already occurring due to bacteriocin production may provide further stress and enhance the elimination process."
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