title: Bacteriophages as Weapons Against Bacterial Biofilms in the Food Industry.
abstract: Microbiological contamination in the food industry is often attributed to the presence of biofilms in processing plants. Bacterial biofilms are complex communities of bacteria attached to a surface and surrounded by an extracellular polymeric material. Their extreme resistance to cleaning and disinfecting processes is related to a unique organization, which implies a differential bacterial growth and gene expression inside the biofilm. The impact of biofilms on health, and the economic consequences, has promoted the development of different approaches to control or remove biofilm formation. Recently, successful results in phage therapy have boosted new research in bacteriophages and phage lytic proteins for biofilm eradication. In this regard, this review examines the environmental factors that determine biofilm development in food-processing equipment. In addition, future perspectives for the use of bacteriophage-derived tools as disinfectants are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Villaviciosa, Spain.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientíficasVillaviciosa, Spain; Laboratory of Gene Technology, Katholieke Universiteit LeuvenLeuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Rubio
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Villaviciosa, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Villaviciosa, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Productos Lácteos de Asturias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Villaviciosa, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García
keywords: bacteriophage; biofilm; disinfection; food industry; phage lytic proteins