Mapping the global landscape of biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance (1992–2025)

TL;DR

This paper maps global research trends in biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance from 1992 to 2025, highlighting regional differences and emerging strategies.

Contribution

A comprehensive bibliometric analysis revealing global research trends and translational gaps in biofilm-associated antimicrobial resistance.

Findings

Publication output on biofilm-AMR increased sharply after 2015 with growing interdisciplinary integration.

High-output regions focus on natural products and nanomaterials, while high-impact regions emphasize clinical and genomic approaches.

Emerging research directions include phage therapy, CRISPR-based antimicrobials, and environmental AMR under One Health.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a great global health threat, with biofilm formation recognized as a key microbial survival strategy that promotes persistence and recurrent infections. Despite growing mechanistic insights, research on biofilm-associated AMR ((biofilm-AMR)) remains fragmented, limiting the development of broadly effective interventions. To address this gap, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of 17,198 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (retrieved November 4, 2025) using Bibliometrix–Biblioshiny, CiteSpace, and Excel. Publication output accelerated sharply after 2015, alongside diversification of research themes and increasing interdisciplinary integration. High-output countries and institutions, predominantly in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, emphasize natural products, nanomaterials, anti-quorum-sensing strategies, and plant-derived antimicrobials, reflecting application-oriented approaches. In contrast, high-impact contributors in North America and Europe focus on clinical microbiology, resistance mechanisms, pathogen genomics, and hospital infection control, highlighting translational relevance. Trend analyses reveal key topics including quorum sensing, persister-cell biology, multidrug-resistant pathogens, and innovative interventions such as phage therapy, antimicrobial peptides, CRISPR-based antimicrobials, and nanotechnology-enabled drug delivery. Emerging directions include environmental AMR, One Health perspectives, and computational modeling. Despite mechanistic and technological advances, translational barriers persist due to biofilm heterogeneity and model limitations. Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration that integrates basic research, clinical microbiology, materials science, and computational approaches will be essential to accelerate clinical translation and develop effective, globally relevant strategies against AMR.

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