title: Atomic force microscopy in biofilm study.
abstract: Biofilms have been classically visualized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The complex operating procedure of SEM restricts its use in routine practice. There is a need of newer visualizing techniques for examining surfaces of biofilms, in particular under ambient conditions. We have presented the unique advantages of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in studying surfaces of biofilms through analyses of the height images obtained on biofilms of two gram positive and one gram negative bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Nocardia brasiliensis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. Biofilm quality of the three different bacteria, ageing effects on Nocardia spp. biofilm surface and effects of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin at different doses on Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas biofilm surfaces have been investigated under ambient conditions and distinctive features have been observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, 244 AJC Bose Road, Kolkata 700 020, India.
authors.forename: Susmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.affiliation: Surface Physics and Material Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064, India Present address: Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, CV Raman Road, Bangalore 560012, India.
authors.forename: Nupur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Surface Physics and Material Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064, India alokmay.datta@saha.ac.in.
authors.forename: Alokmay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Datta
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, 244 AJC Bose Road, Kolkata 700 020, India.
authors.forename: Rupali
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, 244 AJC Bose Road, Kolkata 700 020, India.
authors.forename: Prasantakumar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maiti
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009615:Nocardia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011076:Polycarboxylate Cement; C005506:polycarbonate; D002939:Ciprofloxacin
keywords: atomic force microscopy; biofilm; height distributions; surface characterization