Abstract
The ability of microorganisms to form biofilms has been well documented. Bacterial cells make a transition from a planktonic state to a sessile state, replicate, and subsequently populate a surface. In this study, organisms that initially colonize a ``clean'' surface are referred to as ``primary'' biofilm cells. The progeny of the first generation of sessile cells are known as ``secondary'' biofilm cells. This study examined the growth of planktonic, primary, and secondary biofilm cells of a green fluorescent protein producing (GFP+) Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01. Biofilm experiments were performed in a parallel plate flow cell reactor with a glass substratum. Individual cells were tracked over time using a confocal scanning laser microscope (CSLM). Primary cells experience a lag in their growth that may be attributed to adapting to a sessile environment or undergoing a phenotypic change. This is referred to as a surface associated lag time. Planktonic and secondary biofilm cells both grew at a faster rate than the primary biofilm cells under the same nutrient conditions.
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Received: 17 September 1999; Accepted: 13 January 2000; Online Publication: 25 April 2000
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Rice, A., Hamilton, M. & Camper, A. Apparent Surface Associated Lag Time in Growth of Primary Biofilm Cells. Microb Ecol 40, 8–15 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002480000011
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002480000011