Biofilms Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Imaging

Summary of the Biofilms Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Imaging  

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), bacterial biofilms cause up to 75% of human infectious diseases. These infections usually recur repeatedly and are resistant to antibiotic treatment. Nowadays, it is very important to design or screen anti-biofilm molecules that can effectively minimize and eradicate biofilm-related infections. But without advanced imaging technology, it is impossible to conduct research on the formation and elimination of biofilms. Especially in biomedicine, morphological evaluation is the key and the first step to studying the impact of various drug treatments on clinical biofilms. The use or development of superior morphological techniques allows us to conduct detailed studies on biofilm structure, ultrastructure, 3-D architecture, cell population behavior, etc., and obtain unparalleled image quality with minimal sample loss. Therefore, it is very important to develop morphological research methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has developed into an effective tool for morphological evaluation of biofilms. It can be used in combination with specific software to extract a large number of useful parameters from the image and help us understand the relevant information of biofilms.

Figure 1. S. mutans prepared by conventional scanning electron microscope (SEM) protocol (Relucenti, M.; et al. 2021)

The Biofilms Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Imaging Service Provided by Creative BioMart Microbe

At present, the biofilm research has been paid more and more attention. Ultrastructural characterization of biofilms can be carried out by different microscopy methods, but the SEM methods are still the most used morphological research method and can provide the most detailed images. Some innovative SEM protocols can be combined with 3-D image analysis software, allowing quantitative evaluation of 3-D ultrastructure biofilm matrix, and can be used to compare the differences between several anti-biofilm treatments.

Although the SEM technology is relatively mature, there may still be problems in operation. In order to avoid the formation of artifacts and improve data quality, we provide customers with one-stop biofilms scanning electron microscope imaging services, including sample preparation scheme, instrument selection, and parameter acquisition, etc. In addition to conventional SEM, our electron microscope platform also provides field emission SEM (FESEM), environmental SEM (ESEM), variable pressure SEM (VP-SEM), and focused ion beam SEM (FIB-SEM).

As an outstanding microbiological research institution, Creative BioMart Microbe provides high-quality biofilms scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging service to help customers research biofilms more efficiently. Each technology in our platform has its advantages and limitations, customers can consult our technicians to obtain customized experimental programs.

If you want to know more about this service, please feel free to contact us by phone or email, or you can consult through our inquiry form. We will ensure to provide you with efficient and high-quality experimental outsourcing services.

Reference

1. Relucenti, M.; et al. Microscopy Methods for Biofilm Imaging: Focus on SEM and VP-SEM Pros and Cons. Biology. 2021, 10.