The gut

The gastrointestinal tract, commonly called the gut, is home to lots of microorganisms with intertwined, but not identical, lifestyles: as isolated cells (planktonic), as biofilms, and in biofilm-dispersed forms.

Escherichia coli
One of the most common species of bacterium is Escherichia coli which can live happily inside your gut and help you to digest your food. However, if you have too many Escherichia coli cells in your gut you can get an upset tummy. Escherichia coli can survive on food that hasn’t been washed or cooked properly, or in soil, so it […]
Clostridioides difficile
The large intestine harbours more microbes than anywhere else in the human body, totalling approximately 0.3% of your body weight! Some of these microbes are beneficial bacteria that form communities growing together in biofilms, along the mucosal surface of the human intestinal cells. These biofilms are encased in a protective matrix. Biofilms of good microbes […]
Healthy microbiome
Biofilms naturally grow throughout the gut, both on the surface and in the lumen, either attached to mucus or food particles. Most gut microbes are symbiotic (where both the human body and the microbes benefit) and some, in smaller numbers, are pathogenic (promoting disease). In a healthy body, pathogenic and symbiotic microbiota coexist without problems. […]
Disease
Abnormal biofilm features are associated with gut diseases. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is characterised by a group of gut disorders resulting from prolonged inflammation of the digestive tract (esophagus, large intestine, small intestine mouth, stomach). Both genetic and environmental factors (infections, stress, diet) are involved in the development of IBD. However, clinical observations have also […]