EFM microscopy shares the secrets of bacterial endospore's survival

Images of an endospore and a bacterial cell under high (top) and low (bottom) relative humidity. The increase of contrast in the images produced in high relative humidity conditions is related to the absorption of the endospore humidity and the bacterial cell’s.
Images of an endospore and a bacterial cell under high (top) and low (bottom) relative humidity. The increase of contrast in the images produced in high relative humidity conditions is related to the absorption of the endospore humidity and the bacterial cell’s.
Research
(27/12/2016)

Endospores, considered to be the most resistant life forms in the planet, are created out of certain bacterial cells in response to the lack of nutrients. A study carried out by researchers of the group led by Gabriel Gomila, professor at the Department of Engineering and member of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Antonio Juárez, professor at the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics and also member of IBEC, used the Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM), a variation of the Atomic Force Microscopy, to measure the internal properties of the endospores hydration under high relative humidity conditions.

Images of an endospore and a bacterial cell under high (top) and low (bottom) relative humidity. The increase of contrast in the images produced in high relative humidity conditions is related to the absorption of the endospore humidity and the bacterial cell’s.
Images of an endospore and a bacterial cell under high (top) and low (bottom) relative humidity. The increase of contrast in the images produced in high relative humidity conditions is related to the absorption of the endospore humidity and the bacterial cell’s.
Research
27/12/2016

Endospores, considered to be the most resistant life forms in the planet, are created out of certain bacterial cells in response to the lack of nutrients. A study carried out by researchers of the group led by Gabriel Gomila, professor at the Department of Engineering and member of the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) and Antonio Juárez, professor at the Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics and also member of IBEC, used the Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM), a variation of the Atomic Force Microscopy, to measure the internal properties of the endospores hydration under high relative humidity conditions.

The response of the endospores to the changes in the environment relative humidity, allow them absorbing the humidity of the environment without affecting its viability, which can be related to the way they internally distribute water and can enable the development of devices for water-sensitive material.

Further information

Article Reference:

M. Van Der Hofstadt, R. Fabregas, R. Millan-Solsona, A. Juarez, L. Fumagalli and G. Gomila. ACS Nano, November, 2016. "Internal Hydration Properties of Single Bacterial Endospores Probed by Electrostatic Force Microscopy".  Doi: 10.1021/acsnano.6b06578