Fluorescence microscopy for directly tracking the proliferation of Escherichia coli in baby leaves of cultivated and wild lettuce

The objectives of this study were: (i) to monitor the proliferation of Escherichia coli in baby leaves of romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var longifolia; RL) and wild lettuce (Lactuca serriola L.; WL) using fluorescence microscopy; (ii) to assess the effect of plant species and incubation time on single-cell outgrowth and (iii) to estimate the variability in colony outgrowth.