Microorganisms attach to surfaces and form biofilms. Biofilm formation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide range of human infections, especially those associated with devices such as orthopaedic hardware, pacemakers, prosthetic heart valves, and intravascular catheters.

Biofilm cells are associated with an extracellular polymeric substance matrix, and exhibit reduced growth rates, in the context of altered-regulation and/or the presence of specific genes. Most biofilm studies have focussed on the underlying pathophysiology of biofilm formation and the implications of the biofilm phenotype on therapeutics. In contrast, little attention has been directed towards the microbiological diagnosis of device-related biofilm-associated infections.

Topics to be explored during this session include new approaches to the removal of bacteria from medical devices for the purpose of diagnosing infection and the use of genetic markers of biofilm formation for the diagnosis of biofilm-associated infections.