Plasmon microscopy and imaging ellipsometry of Artrobacter oxydans attached on polymer films.

The attachment of Artrobacter oxydans 1,388 on a newly synthesized biodegradable copolymer of poly-(hexanlactam)-co-block-poly-(delta-valerolactone) is investigated by optical, microscopic and biochemical methods. The potentials of surface plasmon microscopy and imaging ellipsometry for detecting microorganisms when Al films are used to excite plasmons is assessed by comparing images obtained by these methods with dark field microscopy pictures. The experimental results demonstrate that in this case imaging ellipsometry and plasmon microscopy in transmission are promising methods and can be used in optical sensors for monitoring cell adhesion.