Natural bactericidal surfaces: mechanical rupture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells by cicada wings.
Natural superhydrophobic surfaces are often thought to have antibiofouling potential due to their self-cleaning properties. However, when incubated on cicada wings, Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells are not repelled; instead they are penetrated by the nanopillar arrays present on the wing surface, resulting in bacterial cell death. Cicada wings are effective antibacterial, as opposed to antibiofouling, surfaces.
Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, P.O. Box 218, Hawthorn, 3122, Australia. eivanova@swin.edu.au
Elena P
EP
Ivanova
Jafar
J
Hasan
Hayden K
HK
Webb
Vi Khanh
VK
Truong
Gregory S
GS
Watson
Jolanta A
JA
Watson
Vladimir A
VA
Baulin
Sergey
S
Pogodin
James Y
JY
Wang
Mark J
MJ
Tobin
Christian
C
Löbbe
Russell J
RJ
Crawford
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents