Demography

Bacteria

Biology

Optics

Matrix (chemical analysis)

Sociology

Dispersion (optics)

Biological dispersal

Genetics

Biofilm

Cell

Population

Microorganism

Multicellular organism

Chemistry

Ecology

Chromatography

Physics

Microbiology

Nature Reviews Microbiology

The formation of microbial biofilms enables single planktonic cells to assume a multicellular mode of growth. During dispersion, the final step of the biofilm life cycle, single cells egress from the biofilm to resume a planktonic lifestyle. As the planktonic state is considered to be more vulnerable to antimicrobial agents and immune responses, dispersion is being considered a promising avenue for biofilm control. In this Review, we discuss conditions that lead to dispersion and the mechanisms by which native and environmental cues contribute to dispersion. We also explore recent findings on the role of matrix degradation in the dispersion process, and the distinct phenotype of dispersed cells. Last, we discuss the translational and therapeutic potential of dispersing bacteria during infection. In this Review, Rumbaugh and Sauer discuss the environmental cues and microorganism-derived signals that lead to the biofilm dispersal response, recent findings of matrix-degrading enzymes required for cells to libera...

Biofilm dispersion