Surface Visualization of a Bacterial Biofilm using Scanning Helium Microscopy

Abstract The scanning helium microscope (SHeM) is an emerging technology that uses a beam of neutral helium atoms to form images with extreme surface sensitivity and non-destructive qualities. Here, we present the first application of SHeM to image bacterial biofilms. We demonstrate that SHeM uniquely and natively visualizes the outermost surface of extracellular polymeric substance in the absence of contrast agents and dyes and without inducing radiative damage.