Hi,

the best thing is if you can test both microtiter type with bacillus as there are many other factors that can affect biofilm formation and it depends on species.

Hi,

I agree. Just try where it grows better. It definitely depends on species.

Dear Daniel,

I agree with Tamazight and Ondrej's answers, as the degree of biofilm-formation will depend on a range of factors, such as species (and strain), growth medium (pH and salts which will affect the relative hydrophobicity of the cells, the presence of proteins that might coat the surface of wells, etc) and incubation conditions. The best way forward is to simply test what you have available. However, you do need to consider two other aspects for this type of biofilm-formation test.

First, are the surfaces the wells provide really relevant to the bacteria you are investigating? If you are simply interested in biofilm-formation in a simple sense, then it won't matter what type of wells you use. However, if you want to draw conclusions from this assay with bacterial behaviour in another environment (for example, in a human host or on a plant), the choice of well types could be important. If it is, then you should choose whatever substrate is closest to the natural environment you are investigating, or whichever surface is typically used by other researchers in your field.

Second, if you want to compare your results with other published work, it is better to replicate those experiments by using the well types that have already been used, rather than to introduce a new variable (if you have access to model strains that you can test with your own bacteria, this problem is reduced).

In our work with a range of environmental pseudomonads it is clear that they will attach to most substrates, including glass, treated and untreated high density polystyrene, though we do know that pre-treatment of surfaces (e.g. with soil water or PBS) can improve the surface for attachment and biofilm–formation.

Regards, Andrew.

Dear Daniel,

Agree with the earlier answers. Hypothesize that there will not be a (big/clear) difference between the two materials (but this can be quickly tested). There are many factors that influence the degree of biofilm accumulation. When the study would be done in a cross flow system the biofilm formation is expected to differ from stagnant conditions in a microtiter plate. Temperature is an important parameter as well.

It is not clear to me what aspect of biofilms you like to study.

Best regards, Hans 

I agree with the earlier answers. In my work with the Bacillus subtilis I was using polystyrene plates (hydrophobic) to propagate the biofilm with good results.

Regards

Biofilm formation is by the virtue of the secretion of Glycocalyx by the bacteria. If you wish to study their ability of secreting and attaching using the glycocalyx, better you use un treated (hudrophobic) surface. Infact when we did it on glass coverslips, we used to acid-wash them and use. 

I have grown environmental and laboratory based bacterial  biofilms on 96-well high bind PVC plates. These were originally designed for ELISA tests and have organically compatible high protein-binding plastic (other types of PVC have different binding properties) perrmitting the binding of large molecules with ionic groups or hydrophobic regions ensuring a wide diversity of bacteria can form biofilms.

Most answers are for Gram positive. What about Gram negative, say Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas

can use the two plat depending on the method reference that use

Arun S. Kharat Dear Arun biofilm formation of Aeromonas was indeed very good. I used chitin flakes for growing them and it was a part of my PhD work.