Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is a useful method for monitoring biofilm in situ, non-destructively, in real time, and under fully hydrated conditions. In this work we focused on changes in Pseudomonas fluorescens ATR-FTIR fingerprint accompanying the very early stages of biofilm formation: initial bacterial adhesion and the very beginning of biofilm development in the presence of nutrients. To help interpreting variations in the ATR-FTIR fingerprint of sessile bacteria, ATR-FTIR spectra of planktonic bacteria in different growth phases were also examined, and the average surface coverage and spatial arrangement of bacteria on the ATR crystal were determined by epifluorescence microscopy. The proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides ATR-FTIR spectral data recorded during growth of sessile bacteria were shown to be linked to changes in the physiological state of the bacteria, possibly accompanied by extracellular polymeric substances production. This work clearly showed by spectroscopic method how bacteria change drastically their metabolism during the first hours of biofilm formation.
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