Confocal Microscopic Images of a Compost Particle

Confocal scanning laser microscopy was used to microscopically observe a partially degraded compost particle. When compared to typical epifluorescence microscopy, significant heterogeneity in the biofilm was observed. In contrast to many reports, which assumed a uniform biofilm on the surface of a particle, individual colonies could be observed which penetrated the particle for significant depths. By analyzing these confocal images with the software NIH Image, the depth of the biofilm can be clearly observed. The implications of this nonhomogeneous biofilm are discussed.