Assessment and Optimizations of Candida albicans In Vitro Biofilm Assays

Candida albicans biofilms have a significant medical impact due to their rapid growth on implanted medical devices, their resistance to antifungal drugs, and their ability to seed disseminated infections. Biofilm assays performed in vitro allow for rapid, high-throughput screening of gene deletion libraries or antifungal compounds and typically serve as precursors to in vivo studies. Here, we compile and discuss the protocols for several recently published C. albicans in vitro biofilm assays. We also describe improved versions of these protocols as well as novel in vitro assays. Finally, we consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of these different types of assays.