Background

Bacterial biofilms present major challenges world wide and a vast array of different industries. In the case of construction and infrastructure, more than $300 Billion is lost from the US economy every year due to metal corrosion, which is drastically sped up by the presence of bacterial biofilms. Currently, to combat this biocorrosion and biofouling industry leaders heavily rely on copper, a toxic metal that harms the environment and is challenged by regulatory bans.

Biofilms are also a major source of infections in both plants and animals, as well as contamination of food products. It is estimated that 80% of all microbial infections and 60% of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in humans are caused by biofilms. The societal costs of