A flow chamber assay for quantitative evaluation of bacterial surface colonization used to investigate the influence of temperature and surface hydrophilicity on the biofilm forming capacity of uropathogenic Escherichia coli

We have established a simple flow chamber-based procedure which provides an accurate and reproducible way to measure the amount of biofilm formed on an implantable biomaterial surface. The method enables the side-by-side evaluation of different materials under hydrodynamic flow conditions similar to those found on an implanted device. We have used the method to evaluate the biofilm forming capacity of clinically isolated Escherichia coli on silicone rubber and on silicone rubber containing a hydrophilic coating. It was found that the surface chemistry influenced the colonization of the isolates very differently. In addition, the temperature was found to have a considerable influence upon the adhesion and biofilm forming capacity of some of the isolates, and that the influence of surface chemistry depended on temperature. Our results suggest that the step from using E. coli laboratory strains to clinical isolates entails a significant rise in complexity and yields results that cannot be generalized. The results should be valuable information for researchers working with pre-clinical evaluation of device-associated E. coli infections.