Visualisation and biovolume quantification in the characterisation of biofilm formation in Mycoplasma fermentans

The ability of mycoplasmas to persist on surfaces has been widely acknowledged, despite their fastidious nature. However, the organism’s capability to form a recognisable biofilm structure has been identified more recently. In the current study Mycoplasma fermentans was found to adhere to the glass surface forming highly differentiated biofilm structures. The volumes of biofilm microcolonies were quantified and observed to be greater at late growth stage than those at early growth stage. The channel diameters within biofilms were measured with Scanning Electron Microscopy images and found to be consistent with the size observed in Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope images. The combination of imaging methods with 3D visualisation provides key findings that aid understanding of the mycoplasma biofilm formation and true biofilm architecture. The observations reported here provide better understanding of the persistence of these minimalist pathogens in nature and clinical settings.