## 6 Future Directions  
The detection and extraction of newer compounds are now more convenient with the accessibility of innovative techniques [160]. These new compounds can be developed into effective antimicrobial agents for limiting the formation of microbial biofilms on various surfaces. Furthermore, with a better insight into the biofilm formation process, designing novel therapeutic techniques is much easier. The research on the exploration of novel antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents is ongoing. In this article, we summarized the currently available strategies including the antimicrobial agents and the therapeutic approaches. These techniques could provide new hope to move past the antibiotic era. However, there are more possible prospects in the future. We could also combine multiple approaches to find novel strategies to get rid of persistent biofilms, since biofilms are naturally polymicrobial and resilient [161; 162]. However, before using each technique it is necessary to understand the merits and demerits of each agent and select the ones that are most efficient in eliminating targeted biofilms by providing limited damage to the host [163]. For many antibiofilm molecules or tools assessed to date, the main reason for their lack of use in clinical practice is due to the gap between the good outcomes achieved in preclinical studies and the evaluation of their clinical potential [164]. Thus, more clinical trials need to be performed for determining the therapeutic application of the antibiofilm agents [163]. Cancer cells and bacterial cells share some similar traits, such as virulence high replication rates, modes of dispersal within the host, and rapid development of drug resistance [9]. Cancer cells and bacteria share several metabolic features and pathways [9]. Some recent studies revealed the relatio164 nship between biofilm flora and cancer development [165; 166]. It has also been established that the bacteria used host metabolites to form biofilms and to propagate cancer [165]. There has been some success in repurposing some anticancer drugs such as human kinase inhibitors for biofilm inhibition and eradication including the biofilm persisters [167]. Similarly, Mitomycin C, which is an FDA-approved alkylating agent that is being used as a therapeutic agent for treating many cancers, was also found to be effective in killing the persister cells [9]. Thus, repurposing existing drugs not only appears to be an attractive approach in search of innovative anti-biofilm drugs but also saves time and extensive effort of going through de novo drug optimization processes [167]. Subsequently, the anticancer drugs that target metabolism might play a dual role in targeting cancer as well as bacteria. Synthetic biology (SB) is a promising interdisciplinary research field that could be used to design and construct newer fabricated devices, artificial metabolic pathways, and organisms, or as well as reform current natural and biological systems, targeting critical problems in health, materials, energy, and the environment [168]. Using several synthetic biological approaches, it is now possible not only to engineer the desired proteins [169] but also to engineer the metabolic pathways [170] or even the biofilm structures [171]. SB also enables us to control biofilms by building quorum-sensing genetic circuits to control biofilms [172; 173]. Thus, with better knowledge about biofilms, many novel synthetic biology toolkits could be developed which could expand the potential to control biofilms or even use them for human benefit. [PERSON] and [PERSON] contributed to the conceptualization, research strategy, and writing, [PERSON] and [PERSON] revised the manuscript. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.