@incollection{DigelMansurovBiisenbaevetal.2012, author = {Digel, Ilya and Mansurov, Zulkhair and Biisenbaev, Makhmut and Savitskaya, Irina and Kistaubaeva, Aida and Akimbekov, Nuraly and Zhubanova, Azhar}, title = {Heterogeneous Composites on the Basis of Microbial Cells and Nanostructured Carbonized Sorbents}, series = {Composites and Their Applications}, booktitle = {Composites and Their Applications}, editor = {Hu, Ning}, publisher = {Intech}, address = {London}, isbn = {978-953-51-0706-4}, doi = {10.5772/47796}, pages = {249 -- 272}, year = {2012}, abstract = {The fact that microorganisms prefer to grow on liquid/solid phase surfaces rather than in the surrounding aqueous phase was noticed long time ago [1]. Virtually any surface - animal, mineral, or vegetable - is a subject for microbial colonization and subsequent biofilm formation. It would be adequate to name just a few notorious examples on microbial colonization of contact lenses, ship hulls, petroleum pipelines, rocks in streams and all kinds of biomedical implants. The propensity of microorganisms to become surface-bound is so profound and ubiquitous that it vindicates the advantages for attached forms over their free-ranging counterparts [2]. Indeed, from ecological and evolutionary standpoints, for many microorganisms the surface-bound state means dwelling in nutritionally favorable, non-hostile environments [3]. Therefore, in most of natural and artificial ecosystems surface-associated microorganisms vastly outnumber organisms in suspension and often organize into complex communities with features that differ dramatically from those of free cells [4].}, language = {en} }