Expansion microscopy applied to mono- and dual-species biofilms.

ABSTRACT: Expansion microscopy (ExM) is a new super-resolution technique based on embedding the biological sample within a hydrogel and its physical expansion after swelling. This allows increasing its size by several times while preserving its structural details. Applied to prokaryotic cells, ExM requires digestion steps for efficient expansion as bacteria are surrounded by a rigid cell wall. Furthermore, bacteria can live in social groups forming biofilms, where cells are protected from environmental stresses by a self-produced matrix. The extracellular matrix represents an additional impenetrable barrier for ExM. Here we optimize the current protocols of ExM and apply them to mono- and dual-species biofilms formed by clinical isolates of Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Enterococcus faecalis, Serrati

SUBMITTER: Valdivieso Gonzalez D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10696089 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature