Abstract Biofilms cause huge economic loss to the industry through corrosion. A deeper understanding of how biofilms form, develop and interact will help to decipher their roles in promoting and inhibiting corrosion, thus in controlling it. The present review explores most mechanisms of biofilm development and maintenance with particular emphasis on the roles of the biomolecules characteristic of biofilms, including exopolysaccharides (EPSs), proteins/enzymes, lipids, DNA and other metabolites in the corrosion process. These biomolecules play a significant role in the electron transfer process resulting in corrosion induction and inhibition. Microbial attachment, biofilm formation, the EPS matrix and both positive and negative effects by specific biofilm-forming genes all play roles in the electron transfer process. The current review describes these roles in detail. Although challenging to understand and control, the potential of biomolecules in the corrosion process is huge, and the coming decades will witness significant progress in the field. As well as discussing the technologies available for investigating corrosion induction and its inhibition, we also point to gaps in this knowledge.

中文翻译：

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生物分子在腐蚀诱导和腐蚀抑制中的作用：可能的见解

摘要 生物膜通过腐蚀给工业造成巨大的经济损失。更深入地了解生物膜如何形成、发展和相互作用将有助于解读它们在促进和抑制腐蚀中的作用，从而控制腐蚀。本综述探讨了生物膜发展和维持的大多数机制，特别强调了生物膜特有的生物分子的作用，包括胞外多糖 (EPS)、蛋白质/酶、脂质、DNA 和其他代谢物在腐蚀过程中的作用。这些生物分子在导致腐蚀诱导和抑制的电子转移过程中发挥着重要作用。微生物附着、生物膜形成、EPS 基质以及特定生物膜形成基因的正面和负面影响都在电子转移过程中发挥作用。当前的审查详细描述了这些角色。尽管理解和控制具有挑战性，但生物分子在腐蚀过程中的潜力是巨大的，未来几十年将见证该领域的重大进展。除了讨论可用于研究腐蚀诱导及其抑制的技术外，我们还指出了这方面的知识空白。