Biofilms are sticky bacterial communities that can cause infections. Scientists studied how a gene called rpoF affects biofilm formation in E. coli bacteria. They thought rpoF would reduce biofilm, but it actually increased it by changing the composition of the sticky substances that hold the biofilm together. By using special dyes and microscopes, they found that rpoF overexpression led to more carbohydrates in the biofilm. They also saw more curli proteins at lower temperatures, but this didn't explain the increased biofilm at higher temperatures. Further research will look at how rpoF affects other biomolecules in biofilms.