Low-load compression testing: a novel way of measuring biofilm thickness

Biofilms are complex and dynamic communities of microorganisms that are studied in many fields due to their abundance and economic impact. Biofilm thickness is an important parameter in biofilm characterization. Current methods of measuring biofilm thicknesses have several limitations, including app...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied and environmental microbiology Vol. 73; no. 21; p. 7023
Main Authors: Paramonova, Ekaterina, de Jong, Ed D, Krom, Bastiaan P, van der Mei, Henny C, Busscher, Henk J, Sharma, Prashant K
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.11.2007
Subjects:
Bacteria - cytology
Biofilms - growth & development
Cell Culture Techniques - instrumentation
Fluorescent Dyes
Microbiological Techniques - methods
Microscopy, Confocal - instrumentation
Microscopy, Confocal - methods
Yeasts - cytology
Yeasts - physiology
ISSN:0099-2240
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:Biofilms are complex and dynamic communities of microorganisms that are studied in many fields due to their abundance and economic impact. Biofilm thickness is an important parameter in biofilm characterization. Current methods of measuring biofilm thicknesses have several limitations, including application, availability, and costs. Here, we present low-load compression testing (LLCT) as a new method for measuring biofilm thickness. With LLCT, biofilm thicknesses are measured during compression by inducing small loads, up to 5 Pa, corresponding to 0.1% deformation, making LLCT essentially a nondestructive technique. Comparison of the thicknesses of various bacterial and yeasts biofilms obtained by LLCT and by using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) resulted in the conclusion that CLSM underestimates the biofilm thickness due to poor penetration of different fluorescent dyes, especially through the thicker biofilms, whereas LLCT does not suffer from this thickness limitation.
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ISSN:0099-2240
DOI:10.1128/AEM.00935-07