(104e) Invited Speaker: Controlling Bacterial Adhesion on Biomedical Interfaces with Bio-Inspired Liquid-Infused Surfaces | AIChE

(104e) Invited Speaker: Controlling Bacterial Adhesion on Biomedical Interfaces with Bio-Inspired Liquid-Infused Surfaces

Authors 

Howell, C. - Presenter, University of Maine
Bacterial interactions with surfaces are at the heart of many infection-related problems in healthcare. Recently, liquid-infused surfaces inspired by the Nepenthes pitcher plant have been introduced as a new approach to reducing surface adhesion. In this work, we describe the use of liquid-infused surfaces in the reduction of irreversible bacterial attachment both in vitro and in vivo. Tests on surfaces subjected to high concentrations of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus (106 cell/mL) for 48 h at 37° C showed reductions of up to 99% of attached biofilm and colony-forming unit counts 3 orders of magnitude lower on liquid-infused compared to control surfaces. Further investigation suggested that this was largely due to the spontaneous stripping away of a sacrificial layer of liquid at the surface when the sample was passed through an air/water interface. The reduction in bacterial cells was shown to persist in catheter-analog models where the liquid-infused surface was subject to bacterial cells under flow. Tests in vivo in murine model showed that hernia mesh implants which had liquid-infused surfaces showed fewer adherent bacteria than controls 3 days after inoculation with S. aureus, as well as a reduced immune response as indicated by capsule size and cytokine levels. The results presented here shed light on the interaction of bacteria with liquid interfaces, highlighting the fundamental differences between liquid-infused surfaces and traditional solid interfaces which may be exploited for future development of infection-resistant materials.

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