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Atomic force microscopy examination of the topography of a hydrated bacterial biofilm on a copper surface

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Abstract

A bacterium, designated CCI#8, that was isolated from a corroded copper coupon colonized both polished and unpolished copper surfaces under batch culture conditions. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images revealed that the biofilm was heterogeneous in nature, both in depth and in cell distribution. Bacterial cells were shown to be associated with pits on the surface of the unpolished copper coupons. These observations support previous studies that CCI#8 is associated with the pitting corrosion of copper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Imaging Services, Scanning Probe Microscope Laboratory Service, Truckee, California, USA

    Barney Drake

  2. Center for Interfacial Microbial Process Engineering and Department of Microbiology, Montana State University, 59717, Bozeman, Montana, USA

    Philip J. Bremer & Gill G. Geese

Authors
  1. Philip J. Bremer
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  2. Gill G. Geese
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  3. Barney Drake
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Bremer, P.J., Geese, G.G. & Drake, B. Atomic force microscopy examination of the topography of a hydrated bacterial biofilm on a copper surface. Current Microbiology 24, 223–230 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01579285

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