Casbane diterpene a natural agent against Biofilm-Associated Infection

Biofilms are one of the most widely distributed and successful modes of life on Earth. The term biofilm has been defined as aggregates of microorganisms in which cells are embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that are adherent to each other and/or a surface. In fact when cells adhere to a substratum only one cell layer interacts with the surface. Nevertheless biofilms can also be formed in the absence of a substratum. In this case the cells interact one to each other forming flocculating structures. Biofilms drive biogeochemical cycling processes of most elements in water soil sediment and subsurface environments. They are also valuable for several biotechnological applications including degradation of wastewater and solid waste and as biocatalysts in continuous chemical syntheses such as the production of bulk and fine chemicals as well as biofuels. The biofilm lifestyle is clearly distinct from that of free-living bacterial cells. This mode of life presents emerging properties that bring advantage to the community such as resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobials.