Recent Advances in Biofilm Cycle by Bibliography Analysis

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms attached to surfaces, embedded within self-produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). They play a dual role in human and environmental contexts. Beneficial biofilms are widely utilized in bioreactors for applications such as energy production and pollutant immobilization, while harmful biofilms are associated with severe infections, including lung infections and urinary tract infections. Understanding the biofilm cycle, encompassing attachment, maturation, and dispersal phases, is critical for optimizing beneficial biofilms and mitigating harmful ones. For example, identifying the optimal late exponential or early maturation phases can enhance biofilm utility, while predicting dispersal timing can inform strategies for disrupting harmful biofilms, safeguarding human health. This study employs a bibliometric approach to analyze the biofilm cycle, extracting core keywords, leading organizations, and active countries/regions. By synthesizing data from the Web of Science, this analysis highlights key trends and knowledge gaps in the field, providing a comprehensive overview of biofilm cycle dynamics. The study also identifies future opportunities for integrating big data and machine learning, which have the potential to revolutionize biofilm research. These technologies could enable precise predictions of biofilm behavior, fostering advancements in healthcare, environmental protection, and industrial processes, and ensuring more effective biofilm management strategies.