Publication
Title
Femtosecond laser modified metal surfaces alter biofilm architecture and reduce bacterial biofilm formation
Author
Abstract
Biofilm formation, or microfouling, is a basic strategy of bacteria to colonise a surface and may happen on surfaces of any nature whenever bacteria are present. Biofilms are hard to eradicate due to the matrix in which the bacteria reside, consisting of strong, adhesive and adaptive self-produced polymers such as eDNA and functional amyloids. Targeting a biofilm matrix may be a promising strategy to prevent biofilm formation. Here, femtosecond laser irradiation was used to modify the stainless steel surface in order to introduce either conical spike or conical groove textures. The resulting topography consists of hierarchical nano-microstructures which substantially increase roughness. The biofilms of two model bacterial strains, P. aeruginosa PA01 and S. aureus ATCC29423, formed on such nanotextured metal surfaces, were considerably modified due to a substantial reduction in amyloid production and due to changes in eDNA surface adhesion, leading to significant reduction in biofilm biomass. Altering the topography of the metal surface, therefore, radically diminishes biofilm development solely by altering biofilm architecture. At the same time, growth and colonisation of the surface by eukaryotic adipose tissue-derived stem cells were apparently enhanced, leading to possible further advantages in controlling eukaryotic growth while suppressing prokaryotic contamination. The obtained results are important for developing anti-bacterial surfaces for numerous applications. Surface nanotexturing can be used to control bacterial fouling in a non-chemical manner using a low-cost and high-speed method based on naturally occurring self-organised formation of nanostructures upon laser irradiation.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Nanoscale Advances / National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST)
Publication
Cambridge : Royal soc chemistry , 2023
ISSN
2516-0230
DOI
10.1039/D3NA00599B
Volume/pages
5 :23 (2023) , p. 6659-6669
ISI
001096692700001
Pubmed ID
38024323
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 04.12.2023
Last edited 07.12.2023
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