Surface characterisation of two strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis with different slime-production by AFM

Slime-producer Staphylococcus epidermidis is one opportunistic bacteria directly related to biomaterial infections inside the human body. The characterisation of the bacterial surface is crucial when trying to control its adhesion process and prevent the biofilm formation. This work aims to analyse the microscopic and submicroscopic surface structure of two strains of S. epidermidis with different slime production, as well as mapping the surface interaction forces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that S. epidermidis ATCC35984 is covered by a granular-like film, highly compacted with the presence of repeated ‘‘holes’’. However, S. epidermidis ATCC35983 only shows a partial coverage by a less compacted granular-like film, mainly located in the inter-cellular zones. Both films are related to the slime of the two strains studied. As regards to the adhesion forces, results show a greater adhesion of the tip to the slime covering S. epidermidis ATCC35984, than that covering the surface of S. epidermidis ATCC35983. In addition, the adhesion to the free-slime zones of the last strain was higher than to the slime-covered parts.