Biomass and metabolic activity staining biofilm techniques are not reliable enough to be used in microbiology
Marta Díaz-Navarro1, Ana Crespo2, Patricia Muñoz3
1Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.
Journal of Microbiological Methods
|October 1, 2025
Abstract:
Crystal violet and XTT staining quantify biofilms but are influenced by external factors. Testing MSSA, E. coli, and C. albicans refrigerated five weeks revealed weekly variability between researchers. These methods need careful interpretation and should be supported by more reproducible techniques for reliable results.
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