FIG 1.

Schematic of the corneocyte adhesion assay. (Step 1) Corneocytes are collected with tape stripping discs from the upper or lower arm near the elbow of a volunteer with healthy skin. (Step 2) Corneocytes can be preincubated with protein for 45 min or (step 3) incubated with fluorescent bacteria at an OD₆₀₀ of 0.15 for 45 min. (Step 4) Corneocytes incubated with bacteria only are stained with trypan blue for 15 min. (Step 5) After incubation and/or staining, corneocytes are washed, mounted on a slide, and imaged with a fluorescence microscope. (Step 6) Bacterial images are quantified for percent area of adhesion with Fiji ImageJ.