title: A novel approach to determine the efficacy of patterned surfaces for biofouling control in relation to its microfluidic environment.
abstract: Biofouling, the unwanted growth of sessile microorganisms on submerged surfaces, presents a serious problem for underwater structures. While biofouling can be controlled to various degrees with different microstructure-based patterned surfaces, understanding of the underlying mechanism is still imprecise. Researchers have long speculated that microtopographies might influence near-surface microfluidic conditions, thus microhydrodynamically preventing the settlement of microorganisms. It is therefore very important to identify the microfluidic environment developed on patterned surfaces and its relation with the antifouling behaviour of those surfaces. This study considered the wall shear stress distribution pattern as a significant aspect of this microfluidic environment. In this study, patterned surfaces with microwell arrays were assessed experimentally with a real-time biofilm development monitoring system using a novel microchannel-based flow cell reactor. Finally, computational fluid dynamics simulations were carried out to show how the microfluidic conditions were affecting the initial settlement of microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. partha.halder@rmit.edu.au
authors.forename: Partha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Halder
authors.forename: Mahyar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasabi
authors.forename: Francisco Javier Tovar
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Niranjali
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jayasuriya
authors.forename: Satinath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deighton
authors.forename: Arnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Muhammed Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bhuiyan
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D057219:Biofouling / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000254:growth & development; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C013830:baysilon