A key focus of the Rickard lab is to use in vitro models to investigate cell-cell interactions and biofilm development that occur in natural environments. To achieve this, standard laboratory biofilm models (e.g. microplate-based models) through more advanced models (e.g. flowcells and microfluidic systems) are used to examine interactions that promote the development of single or multi-species biofilms and explore ways to control them (e.g. antimicrobial treatments).

The model systems we use are (1) often compatible with culture and culture independent techniques to evaluate biofilm biomass/species composition and (2) amenable to confocal laser scanning microscopy to visualize and perform image analysis of the communities.