Speaker
Description
Biofilms are complex, intricate colonies of bacteria that often attach to medical implants, causing complications and failure of medical procedures, including the need of implant removal, sepsis, and eventually loss of life. According to the National Biofilms Innovation Centre, biofilm contamination also represents an economical burden, leading to over £45 billion in financial losses yearly in the UK alone. Due to the wide variety of processes involved in biofilm formation, as well as difficulty in observing these processes in a clinical setting, there is still a lot unknown about the initial attachment of bacteria on implant surfaces, with several hypotheses arising in the literature. We describe the various factors that are involved and need consideration in the mathematical models, as well as highlight possible mathematical methods that can lead to a better understanding of the biological context.
