Ramya Srinivasan, Tamil Selvam Saravanan, Soham Utpat, Moshe Shemesh, Satish Kumar Rajasekharan
Pathogenic and persistent biofilms are a major challenge in medicine and industry, acting as resilient microbial communities that resist antibiotics and cause persistent infections. In this review, we discuss pulcherriminic acid, a promising iron-chelating molecule produced by antagonistic Bacillus subtilis as a natural weapon against persistent biofilms, particularly those formed by pathogens such as Candida albicans. Drawing on recent research, we explore pulcherriminic acid biosynthesis, its native mechanism of depriving fungi of essential iron to disrupt their growth and virulence, and innovative methods to enhance its production through metabolic engineering. We also highlight its potential applications, from fighting infections to serving as a biocontrol agent in agriculture and even as a natural preservative in food. By harnessing this Bacillus-derived metabolite, we suggest sustainable ideas for tackling antibiotic resistance and persistent biofilm-related problems.