Thorsten Brinkhoff

Thorsten's keynotes talk title is: Adaptations to life in biofilms: lessons from the Roseobacter group

Microbes form biofilms under many conditions and on almost every surface. In the medical field, biofilms often cause severe problems for patients, however, in natural environments biofilms can be beneficial, not only for the microbes but also for host organisms. Bacteria of the Roseobacter group are ubiquitous and ecologically relevant in most marine habitats. This includes biofilms on various higher organisms and as part of the sea surface microlayer, an air-water interface covering about 70% of the Earth's surface. I will summarize the wide range of adaptations of Roseobacters to the life in biofilms, giving examples for mutualism and antagonism, production of multifunctional compounds, and shifts between pelagic and attached lifestyles.