Table 5 Comparison of some staining principles in regard to their suitability for biofilm research
Staining principle | Stain(s) (combinations) | Comparison with microbiological data (PE) | Concentration independency | Suitability for biofilm research | Potentially mutagenic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single species in vitro | Biofilm ex vivo or in situ | |||||
Fluorescein diacetate, Ethidium bromide | + | ++ | Proven (cf. Table 4) | +1 | ||
BacLight® (cf. Table 3) | Syto 9, Propidium iodide | - | - | Questionable (cf. Table 3) | Questionable (cf. Table 3) | +2 |
Diverse substances | ? | ? | Non-existing or questionable | Non-existing or questionable | ? | |