title: Success and failure of colloidal approaches in adhesion of microorganisms to surfaces.
abstract: Biofilms are communities of cells attached to surfaces, their contributions to biological process may be either a benefit or a threat depending on the microorganism involved and on the type of substrate and environment. Biofilm formation is a complex series of steps; due to the size of microorganisms, the initial phase of biofilm formation, the bacterial adhesion to the surface, has been studied and modeled using theories developed in colloidal science. In this review the application of approaches such as Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, Overbeek (DLVO) theory and its extended version (xDLVO), to bacterial adhesion is described along with the suitability and applicability of such approaches to the investigation of the interface phenomena regulating cells adhesion. A further refinement of the xDLVO theory encompassing the brush model is also discussed. Finally, the evidences of phenomena neglected in colloidal approaches, such as surface heterogeneity and fluid flow, likely to be the source of failure are defined.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK; Center for Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perni
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK.
authors.forename: Emily Callard
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Preedy
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK; Institute of Medical Engineering and Medical Physics, School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; Center for Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA. Electronic address: prokopovichp@cardiff.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Polina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prokopovich
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018441:Biofilms; D003102:Colloids; D008954:Models, Biological; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D003102:Colloids
keywords: Bacterial adhesion; Biofilm; DLVO theory; Steric model; xDLVO theory