A biofilm growing on the surface of the Trevi Fountain, Rome
A biofilm is a colony of microbes growing on the surface of a structure. Colonies can be simple, comprising just a single species, or complex communities of many different species. They are found on a multitude of places including fountains, cooling pipes, the bottoms of boats and even human teeth where it is known as dental plaque. Biofilms are important because they are unsightly (fountains), may prevent proper function (cooling pipes, boats) or damaging to health (teeth). Considerable amounts of money is spent controlling biofilms.
Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Rome
Photo credit: © Stephen Hogg / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: algae, bacteria, biofilm, brown, fungus, microbe, spoiled, stain, trevi, water
