Microbial adhesion in flow displacement systems.
Flow displacement systems are superior to many other (static) systems for studying microbial adhesion to surfaces because mass transport and prevailing shear conditions can be adequately controlled and notoriously ill-defined slight rinsing steps to remove so-called "loosely adhering organisms" can be avoided. In this review, we present the basic background required to calculate mass transport and shear rates in flow displacement systems, focusing on the parallel plate flow chamber as an example. Critical features in the design of flow displacement systems are discussed, as well as different strategies for data analysis. Finally, selected examples of working with flow displacement systems are given for diverse biomedical applications.
Busscher
Henk J
HJ
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands.
van der Mei
Henny C
HC
D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D004867:Equipment Design; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D033081:Shear Strength