Bacteria that attach to a surface and grow as a biofilm are protected from killing by
antibiotics. Reduced antibiotic susceptibility contributes to the persistence of biofilm
infections such as those associated with implanted devices. The protective mechanisms at
work in biofilms appear to be distinct from those that are responsible for conventional
antibiotic resistance. In biofilms, poor antibiotic penetration, nutrient limitation and slow
growth, adaptive stress responses, and formation of persister cells are hypothesized to …