Fig. 1
From: Living together in biofilms: the microbial cell factory and its biotechnological implications
The bacterial life cycle. Unicellular (planktonic or free-swimming) and multicellular (biofilm or sessile cells) life phases alternate over time. In this two-phase cycle, bacteria undergo physiological transitions from planktonic cells to sessile cells in building a biofilm, and from sessile cells to dispersed cells in returning to the planktonic state. Each phase is associated with a unique transcriptional behavior. (Sketch by M Berlanga)