Fig. 2

Confocal analysis of ETT biofilm. a, c, e: real black and white images acquired by transmitted-illumination confocal microscope of a 0, 24 and 48 h-old biofilm, respectively. These images result from the multiple acquisitions of several focal planes, which are ultimately combined. b, d, f: topography of the surface of a 0, 24 and 48 h-old biofilm, respectively, obtained by means of a false color scale. Specifically, the confocal microscope software allows us to see the differences in sample structure and thickness by assigning different colors to different areas. For each image, its own scale is given on the right side of the figure. The colored figures are tilted with respect to black and white correspondent images to highlight structure and thickness differences. C-inset and E-inset: 3D reconstruction of a 24 and 48 h-old biofilm, respectively, obtained by means of a mathematical linearization of the ETT surfaces. The images shown are representative of 2 independent experiments with the same pattern of results