Fluorescence-based quasicontinuous and in situ monitoring of biofilm formation dynamics in natural marine environments.

ABSTRACT: Analyzing the dynamics of biofilm formation helps to deepen our understanding of surface colonization in natural environments. While methods for screening biofilm formation in the laboratory are well established, studies in marine environments have so far been based upon destructive analysis of individual samples and provide only discontinuous snapshots of biofilm establishment. In order to explore the development of biofilm over time and under various biotic and abiotic conditions, we applied a recently developed optical biofilm sensor to quasicontinuously analyze marine biofilm dynamics in situ. Using this technique in combination with microscope-assisted imaging, we investigated biofilm formation from its beginning to mature multispecies biofilms. In contrast to laboratory studies on bi

SUBMITTER: Fischer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4054127 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature