Bacterial infection of biomaterials. Experimental protocol for in vitro adhesion studies.

Some of the more common reactor systems and novel diagnostic tools employed in the study of bacterial cell adhesion and biofilm formation have been described. Sampling and experimental requirements are shown to greatly influence the design and construction of a biofilm reactor. As analytical techniques evolve, the capability to non-invasively follow the development of biofilms and to assess the attached cell reactivity has increased. Both non-invasive and invasive diagnostic methods affect the type and design of biofilm flow reactor with both types of analyses providing complementary information on biofilm processes. To correctly interpret the contribution of a specific rate process to the net accumulation of cells at a substratum, one requires a reactor system devoid of any mass transfer limitations and a process analysis approach to allow for the correct collection and analysis of data.