Small molecules are natural triggers for the disassembly of biofilms

•Small molecules can serve as natural triggers for the dispersion and disassembly of microbial biofilms.•Small molecules can act as signals for stress accumulation within the biofilm, or directly disassemble the extracellular matrix.•The small molecules can be divided into signals and cues, cell envelope-modifying molecules, anti-matrix molecules, and molecules that promote cell death.

Gigantic bacterial communities, termed biofilms, thrive in a variety of situations. Held together by a protective matrix, a biofilm is a bacterial fortress whose inhabitants are much better protected against environmental insults than free-living bacteria. However, knowing how single bacteria can break away from the community could be harnessed to break up biofilms that form on prosthetic devices implanted into the human body. This review demonstrates how small secreted molecules can elegantly mediate the disassembly of biofilms. Four different mechanisms for natural triggers of disassembly are highlighted: signals and cues, cell envelope-modifying molecules, anti-matrix molecules, and molecules that promote cell death.