, 2008) and embedded in Epon selleck inhibitor according to standard protocols (Hayat, 2000). Specimens were sputter-coated with gold and imaged with a Quanta 3D FEG (FEI). Features within the FIB–SEM dataset were segmented using Amira (Visage Imaging Inc.), and 3D images were

created. To compare the different microscope techniques, we investigated the biofilm development (day 1 trough 4) of P. aeruginosa PAO1 in once-through flow chambers, perfused with media as described previously (Bjarnsholt et al., 2005). SEMs are used to examine topographies of materials with magnifications that range from that of optical microscopy to the nanoscale. SEM scans the surface of the specimen with a finely focused electron beam to produce an image. SEM micrographs have a large depth of field yielding a three-dimensional Alisertib ic50 appearance, which is useful for understanding the surface structure of the sample. Accordingly, SEM is a good option to visualize the bacteria residing in the biofilms. As shown in Fig. 1, it is possible to obtain high-resolution images of P. aeruginosa aggregating on the glass substratum of a flow cell. As with CLSM, it is possible to see the spatial distribution of bacteria including the so-called mushrooms (for comparison se Fig. 2). It seems that the bacteria are uncovered but interconnected by fiber-like structures. Most biofilm literature agrees that

an alginate- and water-containing matrix, which protects the bacteria against adverse conditions, surrounds the bacteria. We were not able to show or find any evidence of a gel-like matrix covering the bacteria using conventional SEM. This is not surprising because an important step in conventional SEM preparation is dehydration. selleck It is hard to evaluate whether the biofilm structures, including the fibers, that are visualized with this method are influenced by the preparation. We speculate that these structures are condensed matrix

components or are actual polymers found underneath the water-containing matrix. When investigating a biological structure in the electron microscope, the problem of artifact formation because of specimen preparation always needs to be considered and analyzed carefully. It is generally considered that vitrification by ultra fast freezing, for example high-pressure freezing, is the gold standard for nonsolid specimen fixation (Walther & Ziegler, 2002; Hohenberg et al., 2003; Walther, 2003a). The clear advantage of cryo-SEM is the lack of preoperational steps including dehydration and the investigation of time-based specimens ‘frozen in time’. The total preparation occurs within a minute of time, which is significantly less than with conventional SEM that takes days. The sample in the current study was fixed by plunging it into sub-cooled nitrogen (nitrogen slush) close to the freezing point of nitrogen at −210 °C.