To understand the development of biofilms on metal surfaces, analysis of initial bacterial attachment to surfaces is crucial. Here we present the results of a study, using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 as a model organism, in which vertical scanning interferometry (VSI) was used to investigate the initial stages of cell attachment to glass, steel and aluminium surfaces. It was found that while VSI gave unambiguous results with opaque surfaces, when reflective surfaces were used, an artifact sometimes appeared, with the bacteria appearing as rod-shaped pits rather than as cells on the surface. When the bacteria were altered to increase opacity, this artifact disappeared, and upon further investigation, it was found that the observational artifact was the result of a conflict between light reflected from the bacteria and the light reflected from the bacteria-metal interface. These results suggest that not only can bacteria be measured on surfaces using VSI, but with some modifications to the analytical software, there may be a unique window for studying the bacterial/substrate interface that can be used for quantitative observations. Imaging and characterization of the bacteria-substrate interface in vivo (previously invisible) will provide new insights into the interactions that occur at this important juncture.

中文翻译：

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寻找微生物/矿物质的界面：使用垂直扫描干涉法定量分析金属表面上的细菌。

为了了解金属表面生物膜的发展，分析细菌在表面的初始附着至关重要。在这里，我们介绍了使用拟人希瓦氏菌MR-1作为模型生物的研究结果，其中垂直扫描干涉法（VSI）用于研究细胞附着在玻璃，钢和铝表面上的初始阶段。已经发现，尽管VSI在不透明的表面上给出了明确的结果，但是当使用反射性表面时，有时会出现伪像，细菌以杆状凹点而不是表面上的细胞出现。当改变细菌以增加不透明性时，该假象消失了，在进一步研究中，发现观察到的伪像是细菌反射的光与细菌-金属界面反射的光之间冲突的结果。这些结果表明，不仅可以使用VSI在表面上测量细菌，而且对分析软件进行了一些修改，可能还有一个独特的窗口可用于研究细菌/底物的界面，从而可用于定量观察。体内细菌-底物界面的成像和表征（以前是不可见的）将为在这一重要关头发生的相互作用提供新的见解。可能会有一个独特的窗口来研究可用于定量观察的细菌/底物界面。体内细菌-底物界面的成像和表征（以前是不可见的）将为在这一重要关头发生的相互作用提供新的见解。可能会有一个独特的窗口来研究可用于定量观察的细菌/底物界面。体内细菌-底物界面的成像和表征（以前是不可见的）将为在这一重要关头发生的相互作用提供新的见解。