Natural and model biofilms on surfaces

Bacteria are perfectly adapted to their constantly changing environment and possess an enormous genetic potential that leads to a variety of stress reactions. These molecular reactions and adaptation processes guarantee the survival of the bacteria in the respective habitat and, in the case of pathogenic bacteria, also in the host organism. This ability to survive even under non-optimal conditions plays an important role in the medical field, in the food industry and in technical processes, which has only been realised in recent years. As a result, new elimination methods for pathogenic/resistant microorganisms are being developed and tested for use in technical processes. Stress reactions of bacteria are specifically investigated. They serve to repair the cell damage caused or to counteract damaging agents. Taxonomic and functionally relevant genes and their transcripts involved in such processes are quantitatively detected and used for the biological evaluation of the processes.