AUTHOR=Tripathi Abhilash Kumar , Thakur Payal , Saxena Priya , Rauniyar Shailabh , Gopalakrishnan Vinoj , Singh Ram Nageena , Gadhamshetty Venkataramana , Gnimpieba Etienne Z. , Jasthi Bharat K. , Sani Rajesh Kumar TITLE=Gene Sets and Mechanisms of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Biofilm Formation and Quorum Sensing With Impact on Corrosion JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.754140 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.754140 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) have a unique ability to respire under anaerobic conditions using sulfate as a terminal electron acceptor, reducing it to hydrogen sulfide. SRB thrives in many natural environments (freshwater sediments and salty marshes), deep subsurface environments (oil wells and hydrothermal vents), and processing facilities in an industrial setting. Owing to their ability to alter the physicochemical properties of underlying metals, SRB can induce fouling, corrosion, and pipeline clogging challenges. Indigenous SRB causes oil souring and associated product loss and, subsequently, the abandonment of impacted oil wells. The sessile cells in biofilms are 1,000 times more resistant to biocides and induce 100-fold greater corrosion than their planktonic counterparts. To effectively combat the challenges posed by SRB, it is essential to understand their molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and corrosion. Here, we examine the critical genes involved in biofilm formation and microbiologically influenced corrosion and categorize them into various functional categories. The current effort also discusses chemical and biological methods for controlling the SRB biofilms. Finally, we highlight the importance of surface engineering approaches for controlling biofilm formation on underlying metal surfaces.