title: Responses of Staphylococcus aureus bacterial cells to nanocrystalline nickel nanostructures.
abstract: A broad range of human diseases are associated with bacterial infections, often initiated by specific adhesion of a bacterium to the target environment. Despite the significant role of bacterial adhesion in human infectious diseases, details and mechanisms of bacterial adhesion have remained elusive. Herein, we study the physical interactions between Staphylococcus aureus, a type of micro-organism relevant to infections associated with medical implants, and nanocrystalline (nc) nickel nanostructures with various columnar features, including solid core, hollow, x-shaped and c-shaped pillars. Scanning electron microscopy results show the tendency of these bacterial cells to attach to the nickel nanostructures. Moreover, unique single bacterium attachment characteristics were observed on nickel nanostructures with dimensions comparable to the size of a single bacterium.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 208A Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-1762, USA; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jahed
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Brandon B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Mohit S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Frank X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
authors.forename: Ting Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Tsui
authors.affiliation: Molecular Cell Biomechanics Laboratory, Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 208A Stanley Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-1762, USA; Physical Biosciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: mofrad@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Mohammad R K
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mofrad
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009532:Nickel / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D009532:Nickel
keywords: Adhesion; Bacteria; Nano-pillar; Nanocrystalline; Nanostructure; Staphylococcus aureus