Behavioral analysis of Vibrio parahaemolyticus variants in high- and low-viscosity microenvironments by use of digital image processing.

Digital image analysis and light microscopy were used to study and quantify the growth and behavior of two variants and selected flagellar mutants of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in glass flow cells under high- and low-viscosity conditions. The observations showed a series of surface-associated behaviors, including attachment, microcolony formation, migration, chemotactic movements, and aggregation, indicating a substantial degree of adaptive flexibility and multicellular behavior during growth of V. parahaemolyticus at interfaces.