title: Bacterial Interactions with Immobilized Liquid Layers.
abstract: Bacterial interactions with surfaces are at the heart of many infection-related problems in healthcare. In this work, the interactions of clinically relevant bacteria with immobilized liquid (IL) layers on oil-infused polymers are investigated. Although oil-infused polymers reduce bacterial adhesion in all cases, complex interactions of the bacteria and liquid layer under orbital flow conditions are uncovered. The number of adherent Escherichia coli cells over multiple removal cycles increases in flow compared to static growth conditions, likely due to a disruption of the liquid layer continuity. Surprisingly, however, biofilm formation appears to remain low regardless of growth conditions. No incorporation of the bacteria into the layer is observed. Bacterial type is also found to affect the number of adherent cells, with more E. coli remaining attached under dynamic orbital flow than Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa under identical conditions. Tests with mutant E. coli lacking flagella confirm that flagella play an important role in adhesion to these surfaces. The results presented here shed new light on the interaction of bacteria with IL layers, highlighting the fundamental differences between oil-infused and traditional solid interfaces, as well as providing important information for their eventual translation into materials that reduce bacterial adhesion in medical applications.
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, 60 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.|Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 021383, USA.
authors.forename: Yevgen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kovalenko
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, 60 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.|Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 021383, USA.
authors.forename: Irini
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sotiri
authors.affiliation: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 021383, USA.|Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University, Puumiehenkuja 2, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Jaakko V I
authors.initials: JVI
authors.lastname: Timonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Maine, 5737 Jenness Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Overton
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, 60 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.|Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 021383, USA.
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, 60 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.|Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 021383, USA.|Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.|Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aizenberg
authors.affiliation: Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 9 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 021383, USA.|Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Maine, 5737 Jenness Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.|Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, University of Maine, 42 Stodder Hall, Orono, ME, 04469, USA.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Howell
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology*; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D048429:Cell Size; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D012827:Silicone Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D012827:Silicone Oils; C013830:baysilon
keywords: bacteria; biofilms; infections; oil-infused polymers; slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces