title: Bacterial attachment on optical fibre surfaces.
abstract: Optical fibres have received considerable attention as high-density sensor arrays suitable for both in vitro and in vivo measurements of biomolecules and biological processes in living organisms and/or nano-environments. The fibre surface was chemically modified by exposure to a selective etchant that preferentially erodes the fibre cores relative to the surrounding cladding material, thus producing a regular pattern of cylindrical wells of approximately 2.5 mum in diameter and 2.5 mum deep. The surface hydrophobicity of the etched and non-etched optical fibres was analysed using the sessile pico-drop method. The surface topography was characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM), while the surface chemistry was probed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Six taxonomically different bacterial strains showed a consistent preference for attachment to the nano-scale smoother (R(q) = 273 nm), non-etched fibre surfaces (water contact angle, theta = 106 degrees +/- 4 degrees). In comparison, the surfaces of the etched optical fibres (water contact angle, theta = 96 degrees +/- 10 degrees) were not found to be amenable to bacterial attachment. Bacterial attachment on the non-etched optical fibre substrata varied among different strains.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitik-Dineva
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Stoddart
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Albutt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fluke
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ivanova
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D055100:Optical Fibers / Q000382:microbiology*; D013499:Surface Properties