1 Contents

1 Introduction to Biofilms

2 Biofilm Growth and Development

3 Beneficial and Naturally Occurring Biofilms

4 Biofilms in Health and Medicine

5 Biofilms in Industrial Environments

6 Characterizing and Understanding Biofilms

7 Controlling Biofilms

8 Methods for Studying Biofilms

9 Mathematical Models of Biofilms

10 Diffusion in Biofilms

11 Lab Exercises

                        Chapter Overview

                        A Brief Introduction to Biofilms

                        A Brief History of Biofilms

                Biofilms Around Us, On Us, and In Us

                What Is Their Impact?

                What Are Their Characteristics?

1 What a Biofilm Needs

2 Biofilms in Nature

3 Manufactured Materials and Systems

4 Health and the Human Body

5 Biofilms on Solid Surfaces

6 Biofilms on Liquid Surfaces

7 Challenges of Studying Naturally Occurring Biofilms in the Laboratory

8 Section Quiz

1 Aids for Instructors

2 References

1 Read Me First

2 System Requirements

3 Navigating