What are Biofilms?

Formation of a biofilm begins with the attachment of free-floating microorganisms to a surface. These first colonists adhere to the surface initially through weak, reversible van der Waals forces. If the colonists are not immediately separated from the surface, they can anchor themselves more permanently using cell adhesion molecules such as pili.

They attach to diverse substrates such as soil particles, pipes, and contact lenses. Biofilms perform beneficial activities such as water purification and nutrient cycling, but they also cause problems. For example, they can foul plumbing systems and cause stubborn infections.

There are many different experiments involving biofilm culture depending on what organisms you wish to culture. Standard procedures involve preparing the your slides, staining them, incubation, isolation and de-staining. You may need to immerse you slides in a solution during the process, use microarray holders to hold your slides securely in place.

Biofilm growth under some of these test conditions can be quantified by culturing the biofilms in 50 mm plates or microtitre plates.

For more information or visit Camlab or call 01954 233100 to speak to a member of our team.