Biofilms are a fundamental form of microbial life and occur in diverse environments, ranging from the mammalian gut to deep subsurface rocks. It is often claimed that most bacteria and archaea live in biofilms, but this claim awaits quantification. Recent updates on global microbial cell numbers prompt a revisiting of this question.
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The authors thank P. Crockford, A. Fromm, I. K. Gal and M. Shamir for useful feedback on this contribution.
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Bar-On, Y.M., Milo, R. Towards a quantitative view of the global ubiquity of biofilms. Nat Rev Microbiol 17, 199–200 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-019-0162-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-019-0162-0
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