Just how resilient are biofilms?

Biofilms hold promise for generating electricity and removing contamination from groundwater, but they also threaten many industrial processes and human health. As the environment changes in which these biofilms thrive, it is unclear how well these living systems will function. Earlier studies proved that certain biofilms were more resilient to changes in their environment, but how they survived was unclear. To help resolve the issue, researchers examined the molecular workings of model biofilms exposed to the toxic chemical, hexavalent chromium. Their work is helping understand biofilms' responses to stress.

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