A new approach to decoupling of bacterial adhesion energies measured by AFM into specific and nonspecific components

A new method to decoupling of bacterial interactions measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) into specific and nonspecific components is proposed. The new method is based on computing the areas under the approach and retraction curves. To test the efficacy of the new method, AFM was used to probe the repulsion and adhesion energies present between Listeria monocytogenes cells cultured at five pH values (5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) and silicon nitride (Si₃N₄). Overall adhesion energy was then decoupled into its specific and nonspecific components using the new method as well as using Poisson statistical approach. Poisson statistical method represents the most commonly used approach to decouple bacterial interactions into their components. For all pH conditions investigated, specific energies dominated the adhesion, and a transition in adhesion and repulsion energies for cells cultured at pH 7 was observed. When compared, the differences in the specific and nonspecific energies obtained using Poisson analysis and the new method were on average 2.2 % and 6.7 %, respectively. The relatively close energies obtained using the two approaches demonstrate the efficacy of the new method as an alternative way to decouple adhesion energies into their specific and nonspecific components.