New Technologies for Imaging and Analysis of Individual Microbial Cells

摘要: Despite their size, microbes manage to exert profound effects on the human macroworld. Traditionally, field of microbiology has been focused at population level, limited primarily by resolution its workhorse technologies - growth after inoculation into liquid or solid media. However, such "bulk-phase" population-scale measurements are composed data from thousands millions individual cellular inputs. Averaging measured parameter across may "smooth over" and obscure information discrete phenomena that otherwise provide key insights how microbial cells function interact with environments. As alternatives population-based methods, new tools needed visualize structures inaccessible via traditional means. Classically defined, "imaging" refers chiefly methods use visible light generate a likeness an object. approaches using other regions electromagnetic spectrum nonphotonic processes can also be used graphic representations quantitative measurements, often capturing details not available Examples include Raman microspectroscopy, microbeam analyses atomic force microscopy. This chapter seeks cross-sectional sampling diversity for imaging analysis they have applied problems single-cell microbiology. Special attention is paid commercially allowing dynamic observation occurring within living cells.