Studying the Influence of Surface Topography on Bacterial Adhesion using Spatially Organized Microtopographic Surface Patterns

Abstract

The influence of surface topography on bacterial adhesion has been investigated using a range of spatially organized microtopographic surface patterns generated on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and three unrelated bacterial strains. The results presented indicate that bacterial cells actively choose their position to settle, differentiating upper and lower areas in all the surface patterns evaluated. Such selective adhesion depends on the cells' size and shape relative to the dimensions of the surface topographical features and surface hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity. Moreover, it was found that all the topographies investigated provoke a significant reduction in bacterial adhesion (30-45%) relative to the smooth control samples regardless of surface hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity. This remarkable finding constitutes a general phenomenon, occurring in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative cells with spherical or rod shape, dictated by only surface topography. Collectively, the results presented in this study demonstrate that spatially organized microtopographic surface patterns represent a promising approach to controlling/inhibiting bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.

Influence of Grit-Blasting and Hydrofluoric Acid Etching Treatment on Surface Characteristics and Biofilm Formation on Zirconia

“…Many micrometer-and nanometer-scale topographic patterns with varying shape and size have been shown to inhibit biofilm formation compared to flat surfaces of the same material [29,34]. It was concluded by Perera et al that microtopographic surface patterns represent a promising approach to inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, since they found protruding and receding squares, circles, and parallel channels on their material provoked a significant reduction in bacterial adhesion relative to the smooth control samples [35]. Previous study has shown the grit-blasting and hydrofluoric acid etching could create nano-scale topography on zirconia surfaces [26].…”

The Fracture of Plasma-Treated Polyurethane Surface under Fatigue Loading

“…Detailed analysis of structural-mechanical properties of the treated surfaces (roughness, fractal and wave properties, elastic modulus) and the cross-sections of the modified layer are given in the work [19]. In particular, the elastic modulus of the surface, determined by the AFM nanoindentation, increases with the plasma energy and fluence and was 20 MPa for the untreated PU, 125 MPa (PIII 1-16), 254 MPa (1-17) and 1900 MPa (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

“…Treatment of soft polymer leads to the formation of a pronounced wrinkled texture on the surface [15], the peculiarities of surface texture affect the antibacterial properties of the coating [16,17]. The wrinkling phenomenon is related with the loss of stability of the hard layer on the soft substrate due to thermal-induced deformation [18].…”

Design of intelligent surfaces for energy intensive processing industry

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