Cell biology

Engineering

Biofilm

Nanoparticle

Bacteria

Biology

Antimicrobial

Materials science

Extracellular matrix

Biochemical engineering

Matrix (chemical analysis)

Genetics

Nanotechnology

Extracellular polymeric substance

Microbiology

Composite material

Trends in Microbiology

The negative consequences of biofilms are widely reported. A defining feature of biofilms is the extracellular matrix, a complex mixture of biomacromolecules, termed EPS, which contributes to reduced antimicrobial susceptibility. EPS targeting is a promising, but underexploited, approach to biofilm control allowing disruption of the matrix and thereby increasing the susceptibility to antimicrobials. Nanoparticles (NPs) can play a very important role as 'carriers' of EPS matrix disruptors, and several approaches have recently been proposed. In this review, we discuss the application of nanoparticles as antibiofilm technologies with a special emphasis on the role of the EPS matrix in the physicochemical regulation of the nanoparticle-biofilm interaction. We highlight the use of nanoparticles as a platform for a new generation of antibiofilm approaches.

Nanoparticle–Biofilm Interactions: The Role of the EPS Matrix