“This paper provided a step towards developing a molecular understanding of antibiotic resistance in biofilms, which we have come to appreciate in the past decade as an important factor in many persistent infections.”

There has been a surge in interest over the past two decades about why biofilm bacteria (bacteria growing as groups on surfaces) are resistant to antibiotic therapy even though the same bacteria are sensitive when they are not in the biofilm form. This study provided a comprehensive view of gene expression of a predominant bacterial pathogen in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. P. aeruginosa grows as a biofilm in the lungs of individuals with CF, and these infections are virtually impossible to eradicate with antibiotic therapy. This paper included a list of genes differentially expressed during biofilm growth providing researchers with genes and processes amenable to further study. Many citations resulted from the subsequent study of these genes. Some have been used as surrogate markers for the biofilm state while the roles of others in biofilm development and antibiotic resistance have also been studied.

Marvin Whiteley, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology
University of Oklahoma
Norman, OK, USA

E. Peter Greenberg, Ph.D.
Sheppard Professor of Molecular Pathogenesis
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA, USA