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Figure 2. Effect of KSL on oral biofilm development in a dual-flow cell, as revealed by DIC microscopy. (A) The continuous perfusion of a biofilm flow cell with KSL-containing (50 µg/mL) medium prevents biofilm formation. Images of untreated biofilm cells (a-c, negative control), showing the development of biofilms from salivary bacteria adhered to saliva-conditioned Ge surfaces in the flow chamber perfused with KSL-free medium. Images of KSL (50 µg/mL)-treated biofilm cells (d-f). Side-by-side images of treated vs. untreated cells were obtained at intervals of 2 hrs (a,d), 5 hrs (b,e), and 8 hrs (c,f) following inoculation of the parallel chambers of the dual-flow cell. (B) Perfusion of the chamber with a lower concentration of KSL-containing medium (10 µg/mL) was less effective in preventing biofilm formation. Untreated (a,b) and treated (c,d). Images were obtained at intervals of 2 hrs (a,c) and 8 hrs (b,d) following inoculation. Results represent 1 of the 3 experiments. Magnification, 200X. Bars represent 50 µm.
