Drip flow reactor method exhibits excellent reproducibility based on a 10-laboratory collaborative study.

A standard method for growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm in the Drip Flow Biofilm Reactor was assessed in a 10-laboratory study. The mean log density was 9.29 Log(CFU/cm).

Evaluation and remediation of bulk soap dispensers for biofilm.

Recent studies evaluating bulk soap in public restroom soap dispensers have demonstrated up to 25% of open refillable bulk-soap dispensers were contaminated with ~ 6 log(10)(CFU ml(-1)) heterotrophic bacteria. In this study, plastic counter-mounted, plastic wall-mounted and stainless steel wall-mounted dispensers were analyzed for suspended and biofilm bacteria using total cell and viable plate counts. Independent of dispenser type or construction material, the bulk soap was contaminated with 4-7 log(10)(CFU ml(-1)) bacteria, while 4-6 log(10)(CFU cm(-2)) biofilm bacteria were isolated from the inside surfaces of the dispensers (n = 6).

A method for growing a biofilm under low shear at the air-liquid interface using the drip flow biofilm reactor.

This protocol describes how to grow a Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm under low fluid shear close to the air-liquid interface using the drip flow reactor (DFR). The DFR can model environments such as food-processing conveyor belts, catheters, lungs with cystic fibrosis and the oral cavity. The biofilm is established by operating the reactor in batch mode for 6 h.