Data for "Integrating Double-labelling HCR-FISH Into a Multidisciplinary Pipeline for Biofouling Assessment on Austenitic Stainless Steel in Brackish Seawater Circuit"

Microbially-induced corrosion (MIC) caused by native microbial communities in seawater could destroy the passive layer locally on stainless steel, causing pitting corrosion. Several previous studies have investigated the biocorrosion behavior on the material, especially the influence of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), by using electrochemical and surface characterization methods with a biological quantitative polymerase chain reaction. However, there is not yet a technique that could visualize the microbial distribution on the metal surface by their communities. This study aimed to adapt and modify a protocol of applied DNA hybridization chain reaction-fluorescence in situ hybridization (HCR-FISH) to visualize targeted microbial cells on the austenitic stainless-steel surface, providing a unique distribution map of bacteria, archaea, and SRB on the metallic surface.
The modified HCR-FISH method was first tested for pure microbial cultures in the laboratory and environmental samples. The method was then applied in a lab-scale biocorrosion study of stainless steel EN 1.4404 with surface finish 2R and 2B in a circuit system of natural brackish seawater. As a result, the method was suitable to directly apply on stainless-steel surfaces to visualize the biofilm distribution which was supportive for a MIC study.