Using micro-patterned surfaces to inhibit settlement and biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis.
Biofilm is a biological complex caused by bacteria attachment to the substrates and their subsequent reproduction and secretion. This phenomenon reduces heat transfer efficiency and causes significant losses in treated sewage heat-recovering systems. This paper describes a physical approach to inhibit bacteria settlement and biofilm formation by Bacillus subtilis, which is the dominant species in treated sewage. Here, micro-patterned surfaces with different characteristics (stripe and cube) and dimensions (1-100 μm) were fabricated as surfaces of interest. Model sewage was prepared and a rotating coupon device was used to form the biofilms. Precision balance, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were employed to investigate the inhibitory effects and the mechanisms of the biofilm-surface interactions. The results have shown that surfaces with small pattern sizes (1 and 2 μm) all reduced biofilm formation significantly. Interestingly, the CLSM images showed that the surfaces do not play a role in "killing" the bacteria. These findings are useful for future development of new process surfaces on which bacteria settlement and biofilm formation can be inhibited or minimized.
a Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Siyuan
S
Chang
b Suzhou Key Lab of Green Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Science, Soochow University, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China.
Xiaodong
X
Chen
a Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Shuo
S
Jiang
c Lab of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Jinchun
J
Chen
a Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Lin
L
Shi
D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D055616:Microtechnology; D013499:Surface Properties
Bacillus subtilis; bacteria settlement; biofilm; implantation de bactéries; micro-patterned surfaces; surfaces micro-texturées