Population genetics, biofilm recalcitrance, and antibiotic resistance evolution
Metadata only
Date
2022-09Type
- Other Journal Item
Abstract
Biofilms are communities of bacteria forming high-density sessile colonies. Such a lifestyle comes associated with costs and benefits: while the growth rate of biofilms is often lower than that of their free-living counterparts, this cost is readily repaid once the colony is subjected to antibiotics. Biofilms can grow in antibiotic concentrations a thousand times higher than planktonic bacteria. While numerous mechanisms have been proposed to explain biofilm recalcitrance towards antibiotics, little is yet known about their effect on the evolution of resistance. We synthesize the current understanding of biofilm recalcitrance from a pharmacodynamic and a population genetics perspective. Using the pharmacodynamic framework, we discuss the effects of various mechanisms and show that biofilms can either promote or impede resistance evolution. Show more
Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Trends in MicrobiologyVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Cell PressOrganisational unit
02720 - Institut für Integrative Biologie / Institute of Integrative Biology03584 - Bonhoeffer, Sebastian / Bonhoeffer, Sebastian
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