Microscopy microbial attachment

Although exopolysaccharides do not normally have a structural role, they do form structures that can be detected by either light or electron microscopy. Exopolysaccharides may form part of a capsule closely attached to the microbial cell surface, or appear as loose slime secreted by the cell but not directly attached to it mucoid Exopolysaccharide producing cells usually form mucoid colonies on solid media and colonies liquid cultures of these cells may become very viscous. However, growth conditions can... 

Light microscopy (LM) is regularly used to obtain rapid, inexpensive qualitative and quantitative information in food analysis. The first routine use of LM in food analysis was for the identification of adulteration (e.g., the presence of chicory root in coffee) or contamination (insect, rodent, microbial, and foreign bodies). Bright-field, polarizing, and fluorescent microscopy are the three traditional LM techniques used most frequently in food analysis. The basic instrument is a conventional compound (bright-field) microscope, to which polarizing and fluorescence accessories are easily attached. 

When coupled with observation of the surface by various techniques, the chemical data from microelectrodes can be correlated with the positions of microbial colonies and corrosion sites on the metal surface. Franklin et al. [97] have used confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to image microbes preferentially attached to corroding particles of zinc and iron. Xu [47] has used both CLSM and epifluorescence microscopy to image colonies of microorganisms associated with various combinations of oxygen, peroxide, and manganese revealed by the Au-Hg microelectrodes on passive metal surfaces. 

---