Antifouling Strategies-Interference with Bacterial Adhesion

Abstract

Biofilm refers to a viable bacterial community wrapped in self-produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) matrix. As bacteria shielded by EPS are viable and can resist broad hostile environments and antimicrobial agents, biofilm poses a massive challenge to industries and human health. Currently, biofilm has accounted for widespread and severe safety issues, infections, and economic loss. Various antifouling strategies have been designed and developed to prevent biofilm formation. As bacterial biofilm is perceived as a dynamic multistage process in which bacterial attachment on solid surfaces is the prerequisite for biofilm formation, the interference with the attachment is the most promising environmentally benign option to antifouling. The chapter summarizes and discusses the antifouling strategies that interfere with the adhesion between bacteria and substrate surfaces. These strategies primarily focus on modifying the substrate surface’s topographical and physicochemical properties.

Freshwater plastisphere: a review on biodiversity, risks, and biodegradation potential with implications for the aquatic ecosystem health

“…Surface properties such as roughness, topography, and electrostatic charge are known to influence freshwater bacterial attachment and biofilm assembly ( Rummel et al, 2017 ; Nguyen et al, 2021 ). Microbial colonization during the early developmental stages and the subsequent microbial biofilm maturation are directly influenced by the chemical, physical, mechanical, and morphological properties of the polymer substrata ( Dexter, 1979 ; Rummel et al, 2017 ; Kreve and Reis, 2021 ; Nguyen et al, 2021 ; Zheng et al, 2021 ; Jia, 2022 ). On the one hand, the presence of plastic additives (e.g., plasticizers, flame retardants, colorants) can promote hydrophobicity and alter the original properties of the bare solid surfaces ( Karlsson et al, 1988 ; De Tender et al, 2015 ; Bhagwat et al, 2021 ).…”

Nanotechnology based therapeutic approaches: an advanced strategy to target the biofilm of ESKAPE pathogens

“…The bacterial cells in the biofilm are surrounded by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which provide structural stability and protect the cells from harsh environmental conditions. 3,4…”

“…Besides that, the altered pH of the biofilm inactivates the antibiotics and helps the bacteria to survive in harsh environmental conditions. 2,3,7…”

“…The bacterial cells in the biofilm are surrounded by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which provide structural stability and protect the cells from harsh environmental conditions. 3,4 It has been reported that the formation of a biofilm makes the bacteria 1000 times more antibiotic-resistant compared to their planktonic ones because EPS hinders the penetration of antibiotics. 2,5 EPS accounts for 50%-90% of the total biomass of biofilms, thereby inhibiting the penetration of antimicrobials.…”

“…Besides that, the altered pH of the biofilm inactivates the antibiotics and helps the bacteria to survive in harsh environmental conditions. 2,3,7 The abbreviation ESKAPE represents six groups of pathogens, i.e., Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp. 4 The ESKAPE pathogens are named due to their escaping strategies from known antibiotics, including the penicillin group of drugs, carbapenemase, vancomycin, and even colistin, making them multi-drug resistant.…”