Imaging biofilms using fluorescence in situ hybridization: seeing is believing

• Type: Another Publication in an International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023

Authors

Barbosa, A (Author) Other; Miranda, S (Author) Other; Azevedo, NF (Author) FEUP; Cerqueira, L (Author) FEUP; Azevedo, AS (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology

Vol. 13

ISSN: 2235-2988

Publisher: Frontiers Media

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Y-JDM

DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1195803

Abstract (EN): Biofilms are complex structures with an intricate relationship between the resident microorganisms, the extracellular matrix, and the surrounding environment. Interest in biofilms is growing exponentially given its ubiquity in so diverse fields such as healthcare, environmental and industry. Molecular techniques (e.g., next-generation sequencing, RNA-seq) have been used to study biofilm properties. However, these techniques disrupt the spatial structure of biofilms; therefore, they do not allow to observe the location/position of biofilm components (e.g., cells, genes, metabolites), which is particularly relevant to explore and study the interactions and functions of microorganisms. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been arguably the most widely used method for an in situ analysis of spatial distribution of biofilms. In this review, an overview on different FISH variants already applied on biofilm studies (e.g., CLASI-FISH, BONCAT-FISH, HiPR-FISH, seq-FISH) will be explored. In combination with confocal laser scanning microscopy, these variants emerged as a powerful approach to visualize, quantify and locate microorganisms, genes, and metabolites inside biofilms. Finally, we discuss new possible research directions for the development of robust and accurate FISH-based approaches that will allow to dig deeper into the biofilm structure and function.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 16