The laboratory of Dr. Koo focuses on understanding the relationship between biofilms and oral infectious diseases and seeking novel therapeutic strategies to control pathogenic biofilms, including those associated with dental caries.

Biofilms are structured communities of microbial cells that are attached to a surface and enmeshed in a self-produced three-dimensional (3D) matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The matrix provides an essential scaffold for the initial assembly and further development of biofilms. It promotes microbial adhesion, cohesion and protection as well as hindering diffusion. Importantly, the matrix also creates spatial and microenvironmental heterogeneities in biofilms, modulating the growth and survival of pathogens locally.