Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacterium

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium adhered to a hydrophobic self-assembled monolayer (1-dodecanethiol on gold). The bacterium excretes a viscous substance, generally termed biofilm, which anchors the cell to a substrate and confers resistance to physical disruption and antimicrobial treatment. Topography image, 7.7 µm scan. Sample courtesy of S. Deupree and M. Schoenfisch, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.