Non-invasive imaging of oxygen concentration in a complex in vitro biofilm infection model using 19 F MRI: Persistence of an oxygen sink despite prolonged antibiotic therapy.

Antibiotic exposure temporarily causes oxygen consumption to enter a pseudosteady state wherein oxygen distribution becomes fixed; oxygen sink expansion resumes quickly after antibiotic clearance. This technique may provide valuable information for future investigations of biofilms by permitting the study of complex geometries (typical of in vivo biofilms) and facilitating noninvasive oxygen measurement.