Monitoring of Fluconazole and Caspofungin Activity against Candida glabrata Biofilms by Bioluminescence Imaging.

can attach to various medical implants and forms thick biofilms despite its inability to switch from yeast to hyphae. The current biofilm models only provide limited information about colonization and infection and usually require animal sacrifice. To gain real-time information from individual BALB/c mice, we developed a noninvasive imaging technique to visualize biofilms in catheter fragments that were subcutaneously implanted on the back of mice. Bioluminescent reporter strains ( 7/2/4 and 8/1/4), free of auxotrophic markers, expressing a codon-optimized firefly luciferase were generated. A murine subcutaneous model was used to follow real-time biofilm formation in the presence and absence of fluconazole and caspofungin. The fungal load in biofilms was quantified by CFU counts and by bioluminescence imaging (BLI). biofilms formed within the first 24 h, as documented by the increased number of device-associated cells and elevated bioluminescent signal compared with adhesion at the time of implant. The model allowed monitoring of the antibiofilm activity of caspofungin against biofilms through bioluminescent imaging from day four after the initiation of treatment. Contrarily, signals emitted from biofilms implanted in fluconazole-treated mice were similar to the light emitted from control-treated mice. This study gives insights into the real-time development of biofilms under conditions. BLI proved to be a dynamic, noninvasive, and sensitive tool to monitor continuous biofilm formation and activity of antifungal agents against biofilms formed on abiotic surfaces .