Attachment and antibiotic response of early-stage biofilms studied using resonant hyperspectral imaging

TL;DR

This paper introduces resonant hyperspectral imaging as a non-destructive, real-time method to study early-stage biofilm formation and antibiotic response, providing new insights into biofilm resistance mechanisms.

Contribution

The study demonstrates the use of resonant hyperspectral imaging for in-situ, real-time monitoring of biofilm development and antibiotic penetration, which was not possible with previous methods.

Findings

Resonant hyperspectral imaging effectively monitors early biofilm formation.

The method reveals detailed antibiotic response of biofilms.

Insights into biofilm resistance mechanisms are gained.

Abstract

Many bacterial species readily develop biofilms that act as a protective matrix against external challenge, e.g. from antimicrobial treatment. Therefore, biofilms are often responsible for persistent and recurring infections. Established methods for studying biofilms are either destructive or they focus on the biofilm surface. A non-destructive method that is sensitive to the underside of the biofilm is highly desirable, as it allows studying the penetration of antibiotics through the film. Here, we demonstrate that the high surface sensitivity of resonant hyperspectral imaging provides this capability. The method allows us to monitor the early stages of Escherichia coli biofilm formation, cell attachment and microcolony formation, in-situ and in real time. We study the response of the biofilm to a number of different antibiotics and verify our observations using confocal microscopy. Based on this ability to closely monitor the surface-bound cells, resonant hyperspectral imaging gives new insights into the antimicrobial resistance of biofilms.