FIG. 1.

Collection kit. (A) Use of an applicator stick to cut the collodion membrane at the edge of the collection slide. The culture dish lid, strainer, and filter paper pad are shown. (B) This collecting slide supports a copper grid for TEM and a paper circle for removal of the collodion polymer and its attached AWI biofilm for molecular biology or other purposes. (C) Preparing to collect an AWI biofilm from the surface of a small ecosystem sample. The collodion surface faces the water surface and will bind AWI microorganisms upon contact. (D) A floating AWI biofilm thick enough to be seen with the naked eye. (E) The same biofilm firmly adhering to the collodion slide upon which it was collected, after the slide was vigorously rinsed in tap water. Note mirror image appearance of collected biofilm.