Figure 2

Cell surface hydrophobicity impacts biofilm phenotype. Ten C. albicans LBF and HBF were standardised (1 × 10⁶ cells/mL) in RPMI-1640 and grown in 75 cm² flasks for 4 and 24 h. Biofilms were washed with PBS, biomass scraped in to YPD media and standardised to OD_590nm 1.0 before xylene was added to each sample. Planktonic cells were also standardised to OD_590nm 1.0. Samples were allowed to separate into two phases and the OD_590nm of the lower aqueous layer was measured (i). A visual representation hydrophobicity is shown for planktonic LBF (ii) and HBF (iii), 4 h biofilms LBF (iv) and HBF (v) and 24 h biofilms LBF (vi) and HBF (vii). Note the cloudy upper layer denoted by arrows showing hydrophobic cells. Ten isolates from each group were measured on two separate occasions. Data represented mean ± SD. Significant differences between LBF and HBF were observed when 4 and 24 h biofilms were compared to their planktonic counterparts (*p < 0.05, ***p < 0.0001, ^### p < 0.0001). Furthermore, significant differences were found between 4 and 24 h in HBF (^††† p < 0.0001) and between LBF and HBF at 24 h (^§§§ p < 0.0001).