Research trends of biofilms in extreme environments: a bibliometric analysis and review

Abstract:

[Background] Microorganisms in natural environments often form biofilms, which enhance their resistance to environmental stresses. Extreme ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents and caves, provide unique settings to investigate the structures, functions, and evolution of biofilms. [Objective] This study aims to reveal the research trends of biofilms in extreme environments regarding the subject fields involved, research progress in various countries, citations of relevant journals, and co-occurrence of key words in research hotspots. This is important for a comprehensive understanding of the status quo and direction of research on biofilms in extreme environments. [Methods] Web of Science Core Collection was searched for the articles related to biofilms in extreme environments that were published in recent 10 years. CiteSpace was used for statistical analysis. [Results] Since 2014, the number of publications in this field has been growing, and impactful journals and countries have played a role in advancing the development of this field. The co-occurrence of keywords indicated that biofilm formation was a research hotspot. Bacteria, Escherichia coli, sp. nov., and diversity etc. were the research focuses, and adaptation, antibiotic resistance, community, and ecology etc. represented potential research directions. Keyword clustering showed the latest clusters cluster#3 Enterococcus, cluster#7 nitrification, and cluster#12 toxic compounds, which indicated new research directions. The keywords bursts indicated that system, gene expression and DNA would continue to be of concern for a long time to come. [Conclusion] This article provides an overview of current research on biofilms in extreme environments and lays a foundation for identifying future directions and innovative approaches in studying biofilms.