Nomarski images of T. thermophila grown without MWCNTs (A–D), with 0.3 mg/L (E–H) and 1 mg/L (I–L) MWCNTs in the rich growth medium for 2 h (A, E, I), 8 h (B, F, J), 16 h (C, G, K) and 22 h (D, H, L). MWCNT aggregates internalized by phagocytosis appear as black areas in the food vacuoles of the cells grown with MWCNTs (E –L) while no black spots were detected in the control cells (A–D).