The bacterial colonization of solid material is a multi-step process. To define the rate of biofilm formation process on abiotic material under starvation, both morphology and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production must be accounted for. The aim of this study was to define the influence of limited nutrients availability in the medium on the morphological changes, the cell surface hydrophobicity and the synthesis of EPS by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The relationship between the morphology of cells, the cell surface hydrophobicity, the EPS production and the P. aeruginosa biofilm development process on stainless steel surfaces (304L) was also examined. The cell surface area of P. aeruginosa was changed upon long-term starvation due to the decreasing the cell length. The change of P. aeruginosa morphology promoted the beginning stages of biofilm formation on the surface of stainless steel. The lower cell surface hydrophobicity indicated the extensive production of hydrophilic polysaccharides by examined bacteria under starvation. The synthesis of exopolysaccharide composed of glucose promoted more advanced stages of P. aeruginosa biofilm formation on the surface of stainless steel.

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