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MIXED-SPECIES COLONIZATION OF SOLID SURFACES IN LABORATORY BIOFILMS
Citation:
Cowan, M., T. Warren, AND M. Fletcher. MIXED-SPECIES COLONIZATION OF SOLID SURFACES IN LABORATORY BIOFILMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-92/212.
Description:
Colonization of glass substrata by populations of three or four bacterial species over periods of four weeks or more was investigated using recirculating, model laboratory systems. umbers of coryneform, Aeromonas hydrophile, Pseudomonas fluoresces, and Xanthomonas maltophilia on surfaces and in the iquid phase were monitored to determine whether any species inhibited or facilitated the colonization by another organic. he system was 800 ml of culture in a peptone/yeast/extract/artificial akewater medium, pulse-fed every three days, and recirculated 12 ml min-1. pecies numbers were determined by viable counts on differential media, and biofilm coverage was evaluated by computer-enhanced microscopy. The coryneform quickly colonized the surfaces, and there was little change in suspended or attached numbers over the experimental period. olonization by A. ydrophile increased in the presence of P. fluoresces. he results indicated that the ability of bacteria to colonize surfaces is to a large extent related to their ability to colonize the liquid phase. owever, when a species has strong adhesive characteristics, this can result in relatively greater colonization of surfaces. n addition, synergistic interspecies interactions may allow a poor colonizer to become established.