Device simulates natural conditions to grow biofilms and test their antibiotic susceptibility more accurately

Biofilms are complex microbial communities that adhere to a surface and encase themselves in a viscous matrix they produce. This structure protects bacteria from antibiotics and the immune system far more effectively than if they lived in a free-floating state, making biofilms one of the most common causes of hard-to-treat chronic infections—such as respiratory infections in people with cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic wounds, or infections associated with catheters and prosthetic devices.