title: Bacterial patterning at the three-phase line of contact with microtextured alkanes.
abstract: Aliphatic crystallites, characteristic of the eicosane and docosane components of naturally occurring lipids, were found to form microtextures that were structured by specific interactions with ordered graphite (HOPG) used as the underlying substratum, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM) showed highly directed bacterial alignment for two bacterial species (spherical and rod-shaped), reflecting the preferential orientation of the crystallite-air-water interfaces to give linear and triangular bacterial patterning. The mechanisms of bacterial attachment are demonstrated in terms of the balance between effective radial adhesional forces and the capillary forces resulting from the water contact angle of the bacteria at the three-phase line (TPL) of the lipid surface. It is suggested that these microtextured surfaces, which exhibit the ability to limit bacterial adhesion to a precise patterning at the lipid TPL, could be used as a means of controlling bacterial colonization.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology , Swinburne University of Technology , Hawthorn , Australia.
authors.forename: Song Ha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Hayden K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Mainwaring
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: Russell J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Elena P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ivanova
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development; D013499:Surface Properties; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D008055:Lipids; C050821:eicosane; C470023:docosane
keywords: P. aeruginosa; S. aureus; alkanes; attachment; crystallization; docosane; eicosane; graphite