Nanorough titanium surfaces reduce adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus via nano adhesion points.
Microbial adhesion to natural and synthetic materials surfaces is a key issue e.g. in food industry, sewage treatment and most importantly in the biomedical field. The current development and progress in nanoscale structuring of materials surfaces to control microbial adhesion requires an advanced understanding of the microbe-material-interaction. This study aimed to investigate the nanostructure of the microbe-material-interface and link it to microbial adhesion kinetics as function of titanium surface nanoroughness to gain new insight into controlling microbial adhesion via materials' surface nanoroughness. Adhesion of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was statistically significantly reduced (p≤0.05) by 55.6 % and 40.5 %, respectively, on physical vapor deposited titanium thin films with a nanoroughness of 6nm and the lowest surface peak density compared to 2nm with the highest surface peak density. Cross-sectioning of the microbial cells with a focused ion beam (FIB) and SEM imaging provided for the first time direct insight into the titanium-microbe-interface. High resolution SEM micrographs gave evidence that the surface peaks are the loci of initial contact between the microbial cells and the material's surface. In a qualitative model we propose that the initial microbial adhesion on nanorough surfaces is controlled by the titanium surface peak density via nano adhesion points. This new understanding will help towards the design of materials surfaces for controlling microbial adhesion.
Chair of Materials Science (CMS), Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Bio Pilot Plant, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745 Jena, Germany; Excellence Graduate School "Jena School für Microbial Communication (JSMC)", Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Neugasse 23, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Claudia
C
Lüdecke
Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Bio Pilot Plant, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745 Jena, Germany; Excellence Graduate School "Jena School für Microbial Communication (JSMC)", Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Neugasse 23, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Martin
M
Roth
Microbial Genetics, University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
Wenqi
W
Yu
Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Bio Pilot Plant, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 23, 07745 Jena, Germany; Excellence Graduate School "Jena School für Microbial Communication (JSMC)", Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Neugasse 23, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Uwe
U
Horn
Chair of Materials Science (CMS), Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, Germany; Excellence Graduate School "Jena School für Microbial Communication (JSMC)", Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Neugasse 23, 07743 Jena, Germany.
Jörg
J
Bossert
Chair of Materials Science (CMS), Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research (OSIM), Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Löbdergraben 32, 07743 Jena, Germany; Excellence Graduate School "Jena School für Microbial Communication (JSMC)", Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Neugasse 23, 07743 Jena, Germany. Electronic address: k.jandt@uni-jena.de.
Klaus D
KD
Jandt
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014025:Titanium
Focused ion beam; Microbial adhesion; Nanoroughness; SEM; Titanium