The term biofilm was first introduced in 1978 to refer to a community of thousands to millions of microorganisms embedded in an extracellular polymer-rich matrix and in contact with a surface. It was soon realised that biofilm is the preferred way of life for microorganisms.
Biofilms can form on any surface and are often the source of nosocomial infections. Biofilms can form in minutes or hours and last for years.
Many bacteria and fungi can form biofilms, however, other microorganisms (i.e. viruses, yeast, other pathogenic bacteria) can embed themselves and take advantage of the protective matrix and its humid environment and thus result in the formation of polymicrobial biofilms.