Light Producing Biofilm Microorganims

Biofilm Models Using Caliper Light Producing Microorganisms

Caliper has developed a rapid, continuous method for in vivo real-time monitoring of biofilms, through non-invasive imaging of bioluminescent bacteria. Caliper light producing microorganism strains constitutively produce light without the need for stimulation or excitation, making viable cells easily detectable, allowing:  

• Quantitative monitoring of in vivo biofilms
• Rapid and user-friendly results, that may help to accelerate drug development in vivo
• More predictive data


Biofilm development and response to therapy can be studied effectively to follow disease progression for weeks within the same animal. The models allow examination of efficacy or relapse and resistance development to therapeutic agents.

Caliper's optical imaging technology and biofilm-forming pathogens engineered to express light offer an integrated platform for studying chronic biofilm infection, pathogen burden and metabolic activity of biofilms, non-destructively and directly on a support matrix. The model is useful for the study of pathogenesis and in vivo efficacy of therapeutic agents against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens in real time. The imaging procedure can be repeatedly performed, thereby reducing the overall number of animals used, allowing each animal to act as its own control over time, overcoming the problem of animal-to-animal variations.