FIGURE 7.

Carbon and whole-biofilm post-desiccation: metabolic profiles. Individual metabolic profiles demonstrated observable trends in response to desiccation in Arthrobacter (A,B, replicates of desiccation-tolerant biofilms), but not in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (C,D, replicates of desiccation-sensitive biofilms). Both biofilms were grown on TSB (0.3 g/L), but whilst one biofilm was grown continuously on this media (carbon-rich), the other was changed to tap water (oligotrophic) at “Media Change” (for approximately 24 h). The molar flow rate of CO₂ production was higher for carbon-rich, metabolically active Arthrobacter biofilms during desiccation, than for oligotrophic biofilms (A,B). In contrast, the resilience (recovery respiration rate, normalized for individual biofilms over the pre-desiccation respiration rate) was higher for oligotrophic Arthrobacter biofilms. The molar flow rate of CO₂ production for Pseudomonas showed no observable trends or differences in desiccation respiration or resilience (C,D).