b'International Biofilm MarketsWHAT IS THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOFILMS?Wherever microbes either cause a problem or create an opportunity, to humans, animals or the environment, then the communities in which they live (biofilms) have a role to play. NBIC carried out a study to quantify the value of the markets in which biofilms are involved. The study titled Economic significance of biofilms: a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral challenge was published in NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes in 2022. We conservatively estimate this is 45bn in the UK and $4tn globally. All of these markets have a need for research and innovation, to either overcome problems or exploit opportunities, and a few examples of these are given below:Human healthThe challenges of antimicrobialWater - $117bn mostly spent ensuring there is access resistance, wound healing and device relatedto safe drinking water but also in using biofilms as infections are all major contributors to the $387bnpart of wastewater and sewage treatment;impact on health;Bioenergy - $5.3bn of energy from landfills and Personal care - $91bn of this sector is associatedanaerobic digestion plants that use biofilms to with biofilm control; decompose putrescible material;Oral care - $48.9bn of mainly human but also someMarine - $34.2bn mostly the cost and losses animal oral care is linked to biofilm reduction; associated with the fouling of the hulls of ships and marine structures, but also in the contribution to Home care - $161bn is spent managing the domesticaquaculture;environment including eliminating biofilms;Built environment - $48.6bn to ensure thatCorrosion - $2,720bn linked to the pervasive issue of microbially influenced corrosion.institutions are clean and hygienic;Food and agriculture - $324bn to manage biofilms from agriculture to the consumer (from farm to fork);Our study has shown that although biofilms are diverse in their impacts on humans, animals and the environment, there are scientific and technological challenges that are common to many sectors as described in the NBIC interventional themes of Prevention, Detection, Management and Engineering. These common challenges underpin the need for the research and innovation occurring across all these sectors to be well connected as a community via NBIC, so that early breakthroughs can be exploited, and solutions from one sector considered in other fields. We exist to match solutions and needs in an effective and efficient manner. This is critical in order to achieve economic and societal benefits as well as developing the scientists and technologists to understand and solve both problems and the opportunities.We created eight infographics to reflect the results of this study, and to show the huge impact that biofilms have on our global economy. You can download the infographics and access the study from the International Biofilm Markets page on our website. Please scan the QR code to access the page.22'