Lucidi, M., Hristu, R., Nichele, L., Stanciu, G. A., Visca, P., Banica, C. K., Cincotti, G., & Stanciu, S. G. (2021) | IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 27(5), 1–7
Summary
The spread of Acinetobacter baumannii in clinical environments remains a major concern because of its epidemic potential and resistance to antimicrobial treatments. The mechanisms behind these adaptations, however, are not yet fully understood.
In this study, the authors used Re-scan Confocal Microscopy (RCM), an emerging super-resolution imaging technique, to examine the morphology of this pathogen.
Approximately 1.5% of observed cells displayed a filamentous form without internal division septa during both logarithmic and stationary growth phases, a phenotype not previously reported for A. baumannii.
Because bacterial filamentation is often linked to early antibiotic stress responses, the authors also evaluated sensitivity to colistin. Cell viability was measured using a fluorometric LIVE/DEAD ratio with SYTO9 and KK114 dyes, which were also used for RCM imaging.
The dual imaging and fluorometric functionality of these dyes suggests potential for multimodal platforms that combine microscopy with fluorescence-based analysis.
Read the publication: https://doi.org/10.1109/jstqe.2020.3048476