Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy to study plasma torch effects on B. cereus spores

The occurrence of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) side-by-side is becoming increasingly common in analytical research. This article shows microscopy techniques to image Bacillus spores, to measure spore dimensions, and to demonstrate how these methods provide supplementary information to study plasma torch effects. This paper demonstrates that observed morphologies of spores before and after exposure to a plasma torch are remarkably different. The use of SEM and AFM as a tool complex enables examination of spore morphology and dimensions as well as their alterations during decontamination using plasma torch.