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The Quantitative Assessment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA)14 Biofilm Surface Coverage on Slippery Liquid Infused
Christina Wilson1, Bailey Brigham2, Jasmin Sandoval2
1Department of Chemistry, Doane University, Crete, NE, USA.
Abstract:
Slippery, porous polymeric antimicrobial surfaces for biofilm attachment inhibition of the clinical strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14) have been prepared. Porous BMA-EDMA, characterized for its hydrophobic properties, was infused with a slippery liquid creating a hydrophobic liquid interface and characterized by water contact angle and SEM. A low shear force bioreactor was used to prepare biofilms on these antimicrobial surfaces. Biofilm attachment was studied using fluorescence microscopy coupled with image analysis in ImageJ. While the literature presents that these slippery polymers work well as antimicrobial surfaces for several strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, it has been found to be strain dependent. This report demonstrates that slippery surfaces do not work well for the strain PA14, and biofilm covered >3.5 times more area as compared to the control glass surfaces.
Insights
Slippery, porous polymeric antimicrobial surfaces showed poor performance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 biofilms. Biofilm coverage was significantly higher on these surfaces compared to controls, indicating strain-dependent efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Antimicrobial surfaces aim to prevent pathogen colonization.
- Slippery liquid-infused porous polymers (SLIPS) show promise for biofilm inhibition.
- Previous studies suggest efficacy against some Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of slippery, porous polymeric antimicrobial surfaces against the clinical strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14.
- To investigate the strain-dependent performance of these advanced antimicrobial surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Preparation and characterization of porous BMA-EDMA infused with a slippery liquid.
- Water contact angle and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) for surface analysis.
- Biofilm formation assay in a low shear force bioreactor.
- Fluorescence microscopy and ImageJ analysis for quantifying biofilm attachment.
Main Results:
- Slippery surfaces demonstrated significantly lower efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 compared to literature reports for other strains.
- Biofilm coverage on slippery surfaces was over 3.5 times greater than on control glass surfaces.
- The performance of these antimicrobial surfaces is strain-dependent.
Conclusions:
- Slippery, porous polymeric antimicrobial surfaces are not universally effective against all strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
- The strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 is resistant to the biofilm inhibition properties of these tested slippery surfaces.
- Further research is needed to understand and overcome strain-specific limitations of antimicrobial surface technologies.
