I review the evolving research area of microbial ecology – biofilmology. The term arose from the recently accepted concept that more than 99.9% of bacteria in nature exist in a complex, EPS-enclosed communal living called biofilm.

The advancements in micro-scale imaging have allowed re-recognition of the complexity of bacterial life in nature rather than in lab-cultured planktonic mode we have been devoting our research efforts to since the time of Koch. Their complexity includes intimate cell-cell communications via physical, chemical and even electrical means, temporal and spatial heterogeneity in assemblage, and ecosystem functioning including their capabilities of altering their immediate microenvironments.

Micro-scale imaging together with measurements have led to mathematical modeling to study the complex microbial communities and their relationships with the environment at both micro- and macro-scale. These include hypothesis-based theoretical models to answer basic questions about their form of life as well as predictive ones with respect to globally changing environments.

Ecological information on natural biofilms is scarce and thus a current hot research, including basics such as how the consortia are formed, both in processes and compositions, as well as what their functions are.