title: A modular reactor to simulate biofilm development in orthopedic materials.
abstract: Surfaces of medical implants are generally designed to encourage soft- and/or hard-tissue adherence, eventually leading to tissue- or osseo-integration. Unfortunately, this feature may also encourage bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. To understand the mechanisms of bone tissue infection associated with contaminated biomaterials, a detailed understanding of bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on biomaterial surfaces is needed. In this study, a continuous-flow modular reactor composed of several modular units placed in parallel was designed to evaluate the activity of circulating bacterial suspensions and thus their predilection for biofilm formation during 72 h of incubation. Hydroxyapatite discs were placed in each modular unit and then removed at fixed times to quantify biofilm accumulation. Biofilm formation on each replicate of material, unchanged in structure, morphology, or cell density, was reproducibly observed. The modular reactor therefore proved to be a useful tool for following mature biofilm formation on different surfaces and under conditions similar to those prevailing near human-bone implants.
authors.affiliation: INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal. joanabarros@fe.up.pt
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.affiliation: INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grenho
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Dept. Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cândida M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Dept. Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Dept. Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: LEPABE-Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Dept. Chemical Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Olga C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Fernando J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: INEB-Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ferraz
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000032:analysis; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology*; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009985:Orthopedics; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials