Rapid isolation of host-independent Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.

A new method of isolating host-independent Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus has been developed. Filtered suspensions of host-dependent cells are dropped in small volumes onto 0.2 microm membranes laid on rich media agar.

Atomic force microscopy of bacterial communities.

This chapter discusses atomic force microscopy (AFM) for the benefit of microbiologists who are interested in using this technique to examine the structures and dynamics of bacteria. AFM is a powerful technique for imaging biological samples at the nanometer to micrometer scale under nondestructive conditions. In order to be imaged with AFM, bacteria must be supported by a surface, which presents challenges because many laboratory strains of bacteria are planktonic.