Assessment of bacterial resistance to organic solvents using a combined confocal laser scanning and atomic force microscopy (CLSM/AFM)

Using combined confocal laser scanning and atomic force microscopy (CLSM/AFM), bacterial viability under organic solvent stress was assessed at single cell level. Solvent-exposed bacteria stained with the LIVE/DEAD BacLight fluoresced green or red, allowing viable and dead cell discrimination. However, with toluene, butanol and acetonitrile, dually fluorescent cells appeared having compromised cell membranes. Changes in size, surface/volume ratio and roughness were revealed as possible resistance mechanisms.