Abstract
Biofilms can be detrimental to both human life and industrial processes, while they are also beneficial in various bioprocesses including wastewater treatment and traditional fermentation food processes. In this paper, their application to wastewater treatment is first reviewed. Before activated sludge systems became widespread, biofilm processes, such as packed bed reactors and rotating biological contactors, were mainly used in this field. After conventional biofilm processes are explained, the progress of the development including new conceptual biofilms, bottom–up and top–down biofilms, is introduced. Then the review is moved to application to the chemical production field. Recently, microbial cell immobilization using biofilms for chemical reactions has attracted our attention and various biofilm reactors have been designed and constructed. Here, their current status and problems are reviewed. Finally, a new method using the new adhesive nanofiber protein AtaA found in Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5 is introduced as well as its molecular properties.
