Utilizing QCM-D to characterize the adhesive mucilage secreted by two marine diatom species in-situ and real-time

Abstract

The quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) was used to monitor the deposition of adhesive extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) employed by the marine biofouling diatoms Craspedostauros australis Cox and Amphora coffeaeformis Cleve during initial adhesion and subsequent motility. Upon injection into the QCM chamber, initial negative frequency (f) shifts and positive dissipation (D) shifts were measured that correlated to cells impacting and adhering to the QCM sensor surface. Following this "initial adhesion" response, f continued to decrease while D increased logarithmically. Rather than the result of any cell morphological alterations at the substrate surface, t..