Biofilm Formation in Candida albicans

This study utilised Candida albicans strain SC5314 and a series of routine patient anonymised clinical bloodstream isolates (n  =  30) collected under the approval of the NHS Scotland Caldicott Gaurdians, as part of candidaemia epidemiology surveillance study17 (link)36 (link). C. albicans clinical bloodstream isolates previously identified to have high biofilm formation (HBF [n = 15]) and low biofilm formation (LBF [n = 15]) were used throughout this study17 (link)36 (link). Isolates were stored in Microbank^® vials (Pro-Lab Diagnostics, Cheshire, UK) at −80 °C until sub-cultured onto Sabouraud’s dextrose agar (SAB [Sigma-Aldrich, Dorset, UK]). Isolates were propagated in yeast peptone dextrose (YPD) medium (Sigma-Aldrich, Dorset, UK), washed by centrifugation and re-suspended in RPMI-1640 (Sigma-Aldrich, Dorset, UK) to 1 × 10⁶ cells/mL, as described previously37 (link). Biofilms were grown in polystyrene plates or 75 cm² tissue culture flasks in RPMI for 24 h at 37 °C.