Microbial Ecology of Biofilms

Biofilms are ubiquitous, yet until recently scientists and engineers involved in biofilm research or application had a severely limited insight into the structure and functioning of biofilms on a microbial level. However the past decade has seen an explosion of new techniques to elucidate the structure and functions of biofilms, e.g. molecular probes, microsensors, scanning electron microscopy, and a new generation of mathematical models. The 35 contributions selected for these proceedings after peer review reflect these developments with papers grouped into the following themes: nutrient removal systems; anaerobic systems; biofilm physical structure and aerobic water treatment; multidimensional modelling; detoxification of hazardous chemicals; and transport processes in and to the biofilm. The proceedings provide a unique panorama of the latest scientific tools, the emerging new concepts and the widespread applications that are making microbial ecology of biofilms such an exciting field. These genuinely state-of-the-art papers lay foundations for great progress in the next century.