| Title | Morphologies and phenotypes in Bacillus subtilis biofilms |
|---|---|
| Author | Xiaoling Wang1,2*, Shuo Meng1, and Jingshi Han1 |
| Address | 1School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology, Beijing, P. R. China, 2John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA |
| Bibliography | Journal of Microbiology, 55(8),619–627, 2017, |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12275-017-7041-z |
| Key Words | Bacillus subtilis, biofilm, fluorescence, morphology, phenotype |
| Abstract | In this study, we explored Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth under various conditions such as the use of substrates with different stiffnesses and nutrient levels using a well-developed optical imaging technique to spatially and temporally track biofilm growth. We also developed a quantitative method to characterize B. subtilis biofilm morphologies under various growth conditions. To determine biofilm rim irregularities, we used the dimensionless P2A ratio, defined as P2/4πA, where P is the perimeter and A is the area of the biofilm. To estimate biofilm thickness from transmission images, we developed a calibration procedure based on Beer- Lambert’s law and cross sectioning. Furthermore, to determine the distributions of different B. subtilis cell phenotypes during biofilm growth, we used a triple-fluorescence-labeled B. subtilis strain that expressed motility, matrix production, and sporulation. Based on this work, we are able to tune biofilm growth by changing its growing environment. |