Research team investigates the caterpillar-like bacteria crawling in our mouths NatureComms
. Single colonies were transferred to liquid culture and grown to exponential phase at 37 °C shaking at 180 rpm agitation. For all strains, 250 μL of diluted exponential phase cultures were loaded into the cell loading well of a prepared B04A-03 microfluidic plate . Time-lapse imaging was performed using CellASIC® ONIX Microfuidic System. The ONIX manifold was sealed to the B04A-03 plate. CellASIC® ONIX2 System was used as the microfluidics control software.
For scanning electron microscopy, fresh bacterial cells were cultured for 6 h in liquid media containing poly-L-Lysine coated glass slides. Cells were fixed using 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer for 1 h at 4 °C then rinsed 3 times in 0.2 M cacodylate wash buffer solution . Post fixation was subsequently done using 1% osmium tetroxide before gradual dehydration through increasing ethanol concentrations .